title: Health information technology and the idea of informed consent.
abstract: During this early stage of HIT adoption, it is critical that we engage in discussions regarding informed consent's proper role in a health care environment in which electronic information sharing holds primary importance. This article discusses current implementation of the doctrine within health information exchange networks; the relationship between informed consent and privacy; the variety of ways that the concept is referenced in discussions of information sharing; and challenges that surround incorporation of the doctrine into the evolving HIT environment. The article concludes by reviewing the purpose behind the traditional obligation to obtain informed consent and the possibility of maintaining its relevance in the new environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy at the School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D057286:Electronic Health Records; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D014481:United States