Empowering Patients: Sharing Substance Use Disorder Treatment Information with the CRISP DC Health Information Exchange
Bridging the information gap between physical and behavioral health is crucial for whole-person care. In July 2022, the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP DC) launched a new consent tool to reduce barriers to sharing important health information with the patient’s health care team. The tool serves as a platform for providers and staff to register patient consents to share substance use disorder (SUD) data protected by Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations (42 CFR Part 2) through the CRISP DC Health Information Exchange (HIE). To date, the CRISP DC consent tool has recorded more than 390 patient consents.
The consent tool aims to improve care coordination between SUD providers and other health care providers for patients across the levels of care for substance use treatment, and to ease the workflow burden when obtaining consent and exchanging information via the HIE. CRISP DC developed the tool with a competitive award from the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF), funded by a 1003 SUPPORT Act Provider Capacity Grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
To facilitate discussions between providers and patients about this important option, DHCF’s Integrated Care DC and CRISP DC recently created an easy-to-understand Consenting to Share Your SUD Treatment Information flyer on what it means to share SUD treatment data through the CRISP DC HIE. Providers can also find instructions for using the CRISP DC consent tool, including upcoming and recorded webinars, at https://crispdc.org/consent.
The CRISP DC HIE is a platform for the secure and rapid exchange of health and social needs data among healthcare entities, including doctors, hospitals, and laboratories.
Sharing SUD data through CRISP DC HIE comes with strict safeguards to protect patient privacy. By law, healthcare providers must keep health data private and confidential. Also, police and courts do not have access to this information. CRISP DC HIE maintains robust security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of health data, adhering to all HIPAA regulations.
By consenting to share their SUD treatment data through the CRISP DC HIE, patients are enabling their healthcare team to have instant access to critical information that can significantly impact patient care. This secure and rapid data exchange can improve care coordination, treatment decision-making, and patient outcomes. With the ability to control data sharing and robust privacy protections, the CRISP DC HIE empowers patients to actively participate in their care while maintaining the confidentiality of their sensitive health information.
For more information, visit https://crispdc.org/consent.
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
The Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, designated by the United States House of Representatives in 2008 and observed annually in July, is an opportune time to raise awareness about the unique mental health challenges underrepresented groups face in the U.S. Racial and ethnic minorities often experience disparities in mental health outcomes due to stigma and lack of access to mental health and substance use disorder services. Integrated Care DC offers physical and behavioral health providers tools and resources to abate the stigma surrounding mental health among underserved groups and to promote culturally sensitive, patient-centered care. Additional resources for raising awareness and for addressing mental health stigma among racial and ethnic minority populations are available from the HHS Office of Minority Health.
July also marks one year since Mayor Muriel Bowser and Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Director Dr. Barbara J. Bazron announced that the District had joined jurisdictions nationwide in launching the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The District also continues to operate a 24/7 Access HelpLine at 1(888)7WE-HELP or 1-888-793-4357, which connects residents to services provided by DBH-certified behavioral health care providers. The Department of Health Care Finance lists additional medical, behavioral health, and social needs services available to District residents.
Upcoming Webinars
If you missed any of our live webinars, you can still catch up by watching recordings on-demand in the Learning Library.
Thursday, July 13 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
CRISP DC – Advance Care Planning
CRISP DC is excited to offer a cloud-based advance care planning (ACP) solution to all District providers at no cost. Leveraging the interoperability of the CRISP DC HIE and A|D Vault’s industry-leading MyDirectives for Clinicians, advance care planning has never been this easy or effective.
Thursday, July 20 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
CRISP DC – Consent Tool
CRISP DC is excited to share that patients may now consent to share their substance abuse disorder (SUD) data via the CRISP DC consent tool. This webinar will educate clinicians about the uses of the consent tool and how it can be used to improve care coordination throughout the District.
Learning Library
Engaging Families – Part 12 (PCBH Series)
Last month, Integrated Care DC hosted Part 12 of its Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) learning series with a webinar on strategies for engaging families in PCBH to enhance patients’ access to care, treatment, and outcomes. You can watch Part 12 on-demand and check out the complete PCBH webinar series.
LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency Training – Part 2
Part 2 of our LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency learning series discusses how providers can combat disparities and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer (LGBTQ+) individuals when accessing healthcare. The webinar also presents best practices for capturing and utilizing sexual orientation and gender identity data to enhance care and improve outcomes. Part 1 and Part 2 of the series are now available on-demand in the Learning Library.
Managed Care Workshop:
District Agency Perspectives on Integrating Behavioral Health into Managed Care
If you missed the joint keynote address by Barbara J. Bazron, Ph.D., director of the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), and Melisa Byrd, senior deputy director and state Medicaid director of DHCF, at the in-person Integrated Care DC Managed Care Readiness Workshop on May 9, click on the video above to gain valuable insights and perspectives on the integration of behavioral heath into managed care and the imperative for payment and practice transformation.
Visit our Managed Care Readiness Workshop webpage for more presentations.
Consent Management Learning Series
Part 1: Watch on-demand: The Basics
Part 2: Watch on-demand: A Provider’s Experience
Part 3: Watch on-demand: Office Hours
Quality & Population Health Learning Series
Part 1 – Watch on-demand: Quality Measurement Basics: And Why it Matters
Part 2 – Watch on-demand: Treatment Planning
Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Learning Series
Watch on-demand all previous PCBH Learning Series
Is Your Practice Ready?
Are you aware that Integrated Care DC provides complimentary training, technical assistance, and customized practice coaching to enhance your ability to deliver integrated whole-person care? This opportunity is available to all DC Medicaid providers, including providers in physical health, behavioral health, specialty care, and social services. By embracing integrated whole-person care, you can enhance patient outcomes and boost beneficiary and provider satisfaction. To begin, simply click the button below to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable coaches or visit www.integratedcaredc.com to learn more about this invaluable resource.
Ways to engage with Integrated Care DC:
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- Enroll in practice coaching
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Join our live CME/CE webinars
- Get tools to support Medicaid Renewal
- Engage with the Public Forum on Integrated Care
Dive into a Topic
Behavioral Health | Econsult/Telehealth | Screening and/or Assessment | HIE | Care Team Optimization | MAT | COVID-19 | Patient Engagement | Stigma Abatement | Substance/OUD
We publish on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. If you have content for our monthly newsletter, or mid-month update, or have feedback or comments, we want to hear from you. Please send us an email at: [email protected].