PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island State General Assembly and the Governor’s office approved the consent model change for Rhode Island’s Health Information Exchange, CurrentCare, to an opt-out consent model. The legislation (2021-H6210A and 2021-S0495A) updates the consent language in the Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 from opt-in to opt-out.
With this legislative change, CurrentCare, which is operated by Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI), will no longer require those who receive care in Rhode Island to sign up or “opt-in” to have their medical records accessible and available to their healthcare team. This will enable access to a complete medical record for all individuals receiving health care in Rhode Island, which is critical to both the patient and the medical community. An opt-out consent model will save patients time and money by avoiding duplicate tests and procedures, help to avoid medication errors, and allow patients to better manage their health.
“Having all medical data for all patients is an essential tool for clinicians at the point of care. Having access to a patient’s complete medical record enables clinicians and their organizations to create workflows that improve patient care and allows better coordination with other members of the healthcare team. It saves medical teams time from searching for information that may be scattered across multiple care sites. Opt-out also ensures that equitable care that relies on medical history is available for all who receive care in Rhode Island,” said Neil Sarkar, PhD, President & CEO, RIQI.
Rhode Island will join thirty-six other state designated Health Information Exchanges that operate under an opt-out consent model. This legislation was strongly supported by Rhode Island’s medical community, specifically, the Rhode Island Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Business Group on Health, Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation, Lifespan, Coastal Medical, Brown University, and many others.
For a full list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit https://www.riqi.org/Opt-Out.
For media inquiries, contact Scott Young, Senior Director, Strategy & Growth at 401.276.9141 x247 or SYoung@RIQI.org.
About Rhode Island Quality Institute
RIQI is a center of collaborative innovation that advances health and healthcare transformation. Our mission is to improve health and health care by providing trusted data and information. RIQI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001 and overseen by a Board of Directors comprised of senior health industry leaders from our community, including CEOs of hospitals, health insurers and health-related businesses, along with leaders of consumer groups, academia and government agencies. For more information, visit www.riqi.org.
