The healthcare landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with health information exchanges (HIEs) and health data utilities (HDUs) playing a pivotal role in facilitating the secure exchange of patient data. However, a critical hurdle remains: streamlining the process of obtaining and managing informed patient consent. Velatura, a leading multi-jurisdictional HIE and HDU, along with Docusign, the leading intelligent agreement management solution that accelerates the process of doing business, have joined forces to address this challenge through a groundbreaking pilot project announced earlier this year.
The challenge: Streamlining consent for sensitive data
The importance of secure and timely patient health information sharing between patients and their clinicians and other service providers is undeniable. It fosters coordinated care across diagnoses, treatments, and healthcare settings. However, federal and state regulations often mandate specific consent for sharing sensitive patient data, particularly regarding behavioral health, mental health, or substance abuse treatment. This can unintentionally create a cumbersome and time-consuming administrative burden for both providers and patients.
Velatura and Docusign: A partnership for progress
Recognizing the need for a more efficient and patient-centric approach to data sharing, Velatura and Docusign have embarked on a strategic partnership. The project introduces a modernized approach to consent capture by allowing treating providers to utilize Docusign’s Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform to efficiently route and secure completion of a patient’s consent forms when they arrive for a visit. Upon arrival at a care facility, patients will receive a text message or scan a QR code from the registration personnel, leading them to the secure Docusign IAM platform, which is embedded within the Velatura HIE portal. There, the patient can electronically sign pre-populated consent forms, eliminating the need for paper documents and manual data entry. Next, the patient can then view an e-copy of the consent forms for health data sharing and select their data sharing preferences. When the form is completed, the fully executed digital copy of the consent form is routed to the providers, the patient and HIE. The completed forms are then shared with each of the health care providers associated with that patient in a secure, seamless and efficient process facilitated by Velatura.
The broader conversation: Equity in healthcare
The Velatura-Docusign partnership is just one piece of the puzzle. The industry is actively exploring ways to leverage technology to address healthcare disparities.
Social determinants of health (SDOH): Social and economic inequalities significantly impact access to healthcare. Initiatives like the Data Fusion Center from the National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved (NHIT) are tackling this challenge by aggregating and analyzing de-identified data sets to understand how SDOH factors influence public health outcomes.
Interoperability and digitization: Fragmented healthcare systems create roadblocks. There’s a pressing need for interoperable tools that work seamlessly across existing systems and serve the entire care continuum. A 2023 Gartner-Docusign survey highlights this, with 85% of health equity leaders believing that digitizing the patient experience fosters better outcomes and trust.
Building trust through technology
Building trust with patients and providers is fundamental to the success of HIEs. Modern, digital healthcare solutions like those provided by the Velatura-Docusign partnership can bridge the gap between patients and providers, ultimately driving better health outcomes. Here’s how:
Improved patient experience
Effectively eliminating cumbersome paperwork and automating processes for all patients, this can significantly improve rates of patient engagement and contribute to closing disparity gaps by enabling better care coordination for even the most complex cases.
Cost-effectiveness
Streamlining administrative processes through integrated document management can be a cost-effective solution, freeing up valuable resources for more specialized procedures and differentiated tasks, leading to better patient care.
Leading the charge: Docusign and Velatura in the spotlight
This focus on innovation isn’t limited to the pilot project. Docusign and Velatura, along with NHIT and other ecosystem partners actively raised awareness at several key industry events throughout the first half of 2024, highlighting the importance of data sharing and related administrative policies, coupled with community engagement for achieving health equity.
ViVE conference in February
The tour kicked off at HLTH’s ViVE in Los Angeles during the NHIT Health Equity Leadership Breakfast. Angie Bass, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Velatura, Brandon Neiswinder, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of CRISP, Luis Belen, CEO of NHIT, and Stanley Campbell, CEO of EagleForce Associates participated in a conversation, moderated by Michael ‘MJ’ Jackson, VP & Global Head of Industries at Docusign, about collaboratively driving more equitable outcomes with coordinated care.
HIMSS conference in March
The series continued in Orlando in March where Belen, Campbell and Jackson took the stage with Craig Behm, CEO of CRISP, and Tim Pletcher, CEO of Velatura, for a keynote panel discussion that showcased innovative HIEs in action and explored best practices for data sharing and utilization.
State Healthcare IT Connect Summit in April
Behm and Jackson were joined by Dr. Elizabeth Edsall Kromm, Ph.D., M.Sc., Director of the Prevention and Health Promotion Administration, Maryland Department of Health, and Kevin Lindamood, President and & CEO, Health Care for the Homeless, for a forward-looking exploration of public sector modernization and the transformation of the Health and Human Services (HHS) ecosystem. Their opening keynote panel shared insights into the challenges and opportunities of modernizing public sector initiatives and improving outcomes for some of the most vulnerable populations.
Momentum 24 in April
This April in New York City at Momentum 24, Docusign’s annual conference featured a global corporate rebranding and the launch of an entire new solution category, Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM). Dr. Tim Pletcher, CEO of Velatura, and Larry Jin, Senior Project Manager at Docusign, led a breakout session that highlighted the innovative partnership between Velatura and Docusign and explored best practices for leveraging data as a tool for enhancing health equity and shared best practices for data sharing.
Health Innovation Summit in June
Finally, the tour concluded at the American Council for Technology – Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) Health Innovation Summit in Reston, Virginia. Van Ly, Senior Consultant at Velatura, and MJ Jackson from Docusign joined Dr. Kristen Honey, Chief Data Scientist and Executive Director of Innovation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Ken Rubin, Senior Advisor on Standards and Interoperability to the Veterans Health Administration, and Kathryn Umali, Director of the Community-Based Division within the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), for a panel discussion on the “Challenges and Strategies of Patient Care, Accessibility, and Equity in Healthcare.” The panel dove into the challenges and opportunities surrounding access to healthcare, highlighting the barriers that prevent many patients from accessing the care they need, and how to ensure equity and inclusion for marginalized communities. Panelists explored how policy changes, demographic shifts and innovations like the partnership between Velatura and Docusign will impact how care is delivered and accessed in the years to come.
The road ahead: A more inclusive healthcare system
As we dismantle barriers and understand the complexities of health equity, we must explore how technology can responsibly aid in decision making and workflow automation in order to advance inclusivity across the healthcare system. By harnessing the power of data sharing and leveraging innovative solutions, we can create a future where everyone has access to the care they deserve. The Velatura-Docusign partnership is a significant step in this direction. Their pilot project has the potential to be scaled nationwide, transforming patient consent for efficiently sharing sensitive healthcare data, optimizing care coordination, and paving the way for improved outcomes in the healthcare system for all.
Photo: Thomas Barwick, Getty Images
