OKLAHOMA CITY — Anje Newnam expects cases to drop if the state adopts a policy requiring mental health professionals to participate in the statewide health information exchange.
Citing concerns about divulging patient personal information, licensed professional counselor and school psychologist at Partners in Wellness in Tulsa will stop practicing in Oklahoma if program becomes mandatory He said it was likely.
“I cannot participate in (the Health Information Exchange) in good faith,” Newnham said. “If (the Oklahoma Department of Health) says your options are to participate or submit your license, you’ll probably submit your license and look it up in another state.”
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As a result of a state law passed last year, the Board of Health Care Institutions created a permanent institution requiring all licensed health care providers, including mental health professionals, to participate in the exchange by July 1. Consider the rules. The program aims to improve patient care by allowing patients’ digital medical records to be tracked to any provider in the state.
However, some mental health providers are concerned that the exchange’s need to share sensitive client information, such as patient diagnoses, violates its ethical code.
A Holistic Health Approach to Treatment
Health Care Authority CEO Kevin Corbett says the exchange, which has been created for years, takes a ‘whole person’ approach to health by addressing both physical and mental health. Emphasized that it will be a patient-led initiative.
“It starts with whose data it is. It’s patient data,” he said. “And when they give the provider and us permission to use it, we have to protect it. We have to protect it.”
Patient participation in the exchange is voluntary. Only medical professionals directly involved in a patient’s care have access to that patient’s personal information and medical history.
A change from MyHealth Access Network’s current procedures will allow patients to opt out without submitting personal information to exchanges, Corbett said.
The Tulsa-based nonprofit operates an exchange built by global technology company Orion Health.
Having a complete picture of a person’s physical and mental health is key to treating all human ailments, Corbett said. Including a mental health provider in the exchange is important, he said, because studies show that people also have co-morbid medical conditions.
“Just the idea of being able to fully understand a person’s condition across all healthcare providers has proven beneficial, as have many of the providers we spoke to,” Corbett said. Told.
Patient information displayed in the exchange includes personally identifiable information, current prescriptions, drug allergies, vaccination records, diagnoses, test results, and discharge documents.
Feeling “blind”
Judy Branum, a licensed professional counselor at Resolve Behavioral Health in Tulsa, said she fears that if doctors knew their mental health diagnosis, it would change the way they treat their patients. rice field.
She said some female patients told her stories of doctors minimizing their health concerns because they were diagnosed with anxiety disorders. I also questioned how long it would appear on the record.
“That mental health diagnosis landscape brings up a whole different set of stigma and concerns,” she said.
Mental health professionals don’t have to include psychotherapy notes in exchanges, Corbett said.
But Branham said mental health providers were not consulted about implementing the new program.
“As providers, we all feel caught off guard by this,” she said. “It was just decided outside of our control.”
Oklahoma Medical Association President David Holden has urged the Department of Health Care and the Oklahoma Legislature to delay implementation of the statewide information exchange, citing concerns about the cost of the program and the security of patient information.
State law requires that replacements be made by July 1st.
“It needs to be done judiciously in a way that doesn’t cost doctors, hospitals and other health care providers,” Holden said in a statement. “In addition, all Oklahoma citizens must be assured that their personal health information is secure. I am concerned.”
Healthcare providers estimate that on average providers pay about $5,000 up front to join the exchange, but costs vary, Corbett said. He said he is working with legislators to create a funding mechanism for providers who cannot afford their own expenses.
Health care entities may also seek exemptions based on financial hardship, technical capabilities, or business size.
Corbett said the medical organization plans to release details about provider costs in the coming months.
The board of directors of the agency meet on wednesday Discuss the proposed rules for conducting the exchange. Public comments can be submitted at: oklahoma.gov/ohca/okshine.
If approved, the regulations will be sent to Congress and the Governor for final approval.
Ginnie Graham talks with Zack Stoycoff, executive director of the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, about a new report showing private insurers are not providing Oklahomans with the mental health care they need.
