GRANULAR PATIENT CONTROL OF PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION: FEDERAL AND STATE LAW CONSIDERATIONS

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Health Law
• Bioethics

Background:

• Electronic medical records and health information exchanges enable greater patient control over sensitive health data.
• Patients ideally should dictate access to their health information by healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze U.S. federal and Arizona state laws regarding the sharing of sensitive health information.
• To inform the design of systems for granular patient control over health data.

Main Methods:

• Legal analysis of U.S. federal and Arizona state statutes and regulations.
• Examination of laws governing the disclosure of substance abuse, mental health, genetic, communicable disease, and sexual/reproductive health information.

Main Results:

• Patient control over health information sharing is contingent upon specific legal provisions (prohibitions, permissions, or requirements for disclosure).
• Varying legal landscapes across federal and state levels present challenges for uniform system design.

Conclusions:

• Designing effective systems for granular patient control requires a thorough understanding of applicable legal requirements.
• Legal compliance is a critical factor in enabling patients to manage access to their sensitive health information.