Advancing Health Equity Through Substance Use Medical Record Data Sharing: Insights from Healthcare Providers

Mengyi Wei, Anita Murcko, Sai Prathyusha Nookala, Dharma Teja Bhattu, Sai Jahnavi Vemula, Darwyn Chern, Eric Lott, Mary Jo Whitfield, Nick Stavros, Deborah Ariosto and Maria Adela Grando ()
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Mengyi Wei: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Anita Murcko: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Sai Prathyusha Nookala: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Dharma Teja Bhattu: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Sai Jahnavi Vemula: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Darwyn Chern: Copa Health, Mesa, AZ 85205, USA
Eric Lott: Community Bridges Inc., Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA
Mary Jo Whitfield: Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Phoenix, AZ 85037, USA
Nick Stavros: Community Medical Services, Phoenix, AZ 85021, USA
Deborah Ariosto: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Maria Adela Grando: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Better care is delivered when patients and providers share health information. Unfortunately, critical health data are often unavailable due to fragmentation within healthcare systems. Sensitive health information, like substance use disorder, is often sequestered in ways that do not meet patient data privacy choices and provider data access needs. This study explored healthcare providers’ perspectives on barriers and facilitators to substance use data sharing and its impact on care. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with 31 healthcare providers from four treatment facilities. Discussions focused on privacy concerns, data-sharing workflows, and scenarios involving four Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) substance use disorder specific metrics. Open coding identified key concepts, and thematic analysis was employed to identify barriers and facilitators influencing data sharing and care outcomes. Results: Providers identified five main barriers: patient reluctance to share (48%), data access challenges (42%), poor provider coordination (29%), incomplete health information (26%), and complexity of privacy regulations (23%). Key facilitators included patient understanding (26%), patient–provider relationship (16%), and reliability of health information systems (16%). Discussion: This study sets the stage for understanding and addressing sensitive healthcare data access and privacy concerns through improved care coordination, systems interoperability, education, and policy reform.

Keywords: HEDIS metrics; substance use disorder; data sharing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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