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SHARING SENSITIVE INFORMATION 

 

Your health information is protected by both state and federal laws that decide the use, sharing, and protection of such information. Access to your health information through Connie is available to healthcare organizations that (a) have a data-sharing agreement with Connie; and (b) have a relationship with you, the patient, for either treatment or payment purposes.  


In line with HIPAA and Connecticut state policy, consent, or approval, is not required for health information sharing through Connie except for certain especially sensitive types of health information. If you do not want your health information shared through Connie, you can opt out. If you opt out of Connie, you opt out of every part of data sharing that is not otherwise required by law. Opt-out allows you to have your (a) historic electronic health information deleted from Connie and (b) future electronic health information blocked from being uploaded to Connie across all participating healthcare organizations. Patients who have opted out are also unable to access their health information through the Connie Patient Portal. For more information about the specific situations that opt-out does not cover, see our frequently asked questions.  

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In Connecticut, certain kinds of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, mental health, and HIV/AIDS information have additional protections. Connie refers to health information with these extra protections under state law as “sensitive information.” Before sensitive information is sent to Connie to be shared with participating organizations, state and federal laws often require patients to provide affirmative consent, which is clear, voluntary agreement. Usually, affirmative consent – that is, written or verbal approval - occurs at your provider’s office with you, the patient. It allows your provider to share sensitive information that has important medical value with your care team for care coordination. Connie is also allowing patients to consent directly through Connie Patient Connect, Connie’s patient portal. For more information about setting up a patient portal account, visit: Patient Connect | Connie Website

 

Connie’s SUD Treatment Consent Tool
 

Connie is launching a consent tool that allows providers who have an agreement with Connie to share substance use disorder (SUD) treatment information protected by 42 CFR Part 2 (this law is often referred to as Part 2) through the HIE with your consent.  
 

Right now, the consent tool is limited to SUD information.  

 

Affirmative Consent Process
 

Sharing substance use disorder (SUD) treatment information: An SUD treatment provider must complete the necessary legal agreements with Connie to allow SUD treatment information to be shared with Connie. The provider then sends your SUD treatment information to Connie, which will not be shared unless you affirmatively consent.   There are two ways to consent: 

   

Option 1: Consent through Connie’s Provider Portal: Any of your providers that participate with Connie can register your consent to share sensitive health information from any SUD treatment provider. Providers have the option to register a new consent for you or search for an existing consent on file. Providers can view your existing consent in the consent history log. To register a new consent, the provider will complete the “SUD Part II Provider – Patient Consent Form” to document your consent for sharing SUD treatment information.  

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  • On the form, you will select your consent choices and electronically sign the consent form.   

  • The provider must swear to providing you with education and confirming you are you before submitting your consent.  

  • Once the form is complete, the provider can submit the form and, if desired, print and save a copy of the consent form for their files. You can also ask them for a copy.
     

Providers should contact their Account Manager if they have any questions about how to best support patients using the consent tool through the Connie Provider Portal, or email info@conniect.org. 

 

Option 2: Consent through Connie Patient Connect: If you are a Connecticut resident with a Connie Patient Connect account, you can register your own consent directly. Using the Consent Editor tool in Connie Patient Connect, you can:  

  • see if you already consented through your provider; 

  • revoke, meaning remove, a consent;  

  • create a new consent; and 

  • view past history of registered and removed consent in the consent history log. 
     

To register a new consent, you must:  

  • Review the explanation of the form. 

  • Check all boxes on the form, sign and submit the form. 

  • If desired, you can print and save a copy of the consent form for your files.  
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NOTE: New consents will automatically override an existing consent on file. 

Patients can contact Connie Patient Connect User Support at 888-601-7345. 

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FAQs for Providers:

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Are my providers allowed to send information about my substance use disorders (SUD) to Connie?   

Yes. The Part 2 rules permit programs to disclose your information to HIEs like Connie. However, to meet the requirements of the Part 2 rules, a program must either get your consent before sharing your SUD records with Connie or complete an agreement with Connie (see § 2.11 and § 2.12(c)(4)).  

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What kind of agreement does my substance use disorder (SUD) provider have with Connie in order for Connie to receive my SUD treatment information?  

Connie and your provider would sign a Qualified Service Organization Agreement (QSOA). A qualified service organization (QSO) is an individual or organization that provides services to a Part 2 program. In this case, Connie is the QSO and your SUD treatment provider is the Part 2 program.    
 

Your SUD treatment provider and Connie could sign a QSOA acknowledging that Connie is providing information exchange services to the Part 2 program and Connie has to follow the Part 2 Rules. Because Connie is the QSO, the Part 2 program would not need your consent to share your information with Connie. However, Connie cannot share your SUD treatment information – not that you are in treatment nor what kind of treatment you are receiving – with your other providers without your consent.  

  

How do I access the Consent tool (also known as the Consent Editor)? 

You can access the Consent Editor, through Connie Patient Connect, the Connie patient portal. You can set up an account for free by going to www.conniepatientconnect.org.  You can contact Connie Patient Connect User Support at 888-601-7345 for assistance. 

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Or, during an appointment with your provider, you can have your provider complete the consent with you from the Connie Provider Portal if the provider has access. Providers can contact info@conniect.org for assistance.  

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What substance use disorder (SUD) treatment information will be shared? 

Connie will only share SUD treatment information once you, as the patient, have registered a consent, either through the patient portal or through your provider completing the consent with you during a visit. This includes both the fact that you are receiving SUD treatment from a 42 CFR Part 2 provider and associated information about your treatment (e.g. your treatment medications, diagnosis, etc.).  

  

Who will see this substance use disorder (SUD) treatment information? 

The consent form allows your SUD treatment information to be seen by members of your healthcare team who participate in Connie and are affiliated with CRISP Shared Services (CSS), including providers in Connecticut and other states, such as Alaska, DC, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, and any HIE affiliates in the future. For a current list of CSS-affiliated HIEs, visit https://www.crispsharedservices.org/. Providers could include hospital providers; primary care providers; specialists such as cardiologists, pharmacists, and dentists; and payers. For a current list of Connie’s participating organizations see:https://www.conniect.org/connectedorgsdashboard.  

  

Will Connie share my substance use disorder (SUD) treatment information with law enforcement or with the court system without my consent? 

Connie does not share SUD treatment information with law enforcement or the court system unless required by law. In the case of sharing data with law enforcement, Connie would only share SUD data with law enforcement in the event of a court order.

Additionally, Connie may be required to share information to government agencies conducting checks for compliance with state or federal programs and rules.  

  

When does my consent expire? 

Your consent and authorization will remain in effect until the date you select, unless you remove your consent prior to that time. If no date is selected, the consent will not expire and will remain in effect until removed. You can change the date using the Consent Editor tool in the patient portal, Connie Patient Connect. For step-by-step guidance, see: the Connie Patient Connect User Guide. 

 

Can I remove my consent? What happens if I remove consent? 

You can remove, or revoke, your consent at any time by logging into the patient portal, Connie Patient Connect, and using the Consent Editor tool. For step-by-step guidance, see: the Connie Patient Connect User Guide.  
 

If you and your provider completed the consent through the provider portal, you can also ask your provider to remove your consent through the Connie Provider Portal.  
 

Once removed, Connie will immediately stop sharing your SUD treatment information. This will not apply to SUD treatment information that your provider downloaded into your chart in their electronic health record system while your approval was active.  

  

What are the benefits of sharing my substance use disorder (SUD) treatment information through Connie? 

Sharing this information can improve your care coordination and enable your entire care team to better support you in recovery. 

  

If I consent, will my primary care provider be the only one to see my substance use disorder (SUD) treatment information through Connie? 

Not at this time. If you consent to sharing your SUD treatment information through Connie, all of your providers who are participating in Connie will be able to see your SUD treatment information. You cannot choose which of your providers get access to your SUD treatment information at this time.  

  

Can providers share substance use disorder (SUD) data directly with other providers if they don’t use Connie’s consent forms? 

Yes. Using the Connie consent process only allows you to let your SUD treatment information be shared through Connie. Providers may have other consent or release of information forms for you to complete to share information directly with others. 

 

Can my Authorized Representative consent on my behalf? 

Although you can authorize a representative to see your Connie Patient Connect account, authorized representatives will not be able to use the Consent Editor on your behalf. Authorized representatives will need to have your provider submit the consent through the Connie Provider Portal. 

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