California is at the forefront of breaking down barriers in health care and social services delivery by promoting collaboration across sectors for better overall health. Professionals understand that to provide the best care, they need a complete understanding of a patient’s physical and mental health, education, housing, and social history. Access to data enables the provision of tailored and coordinated care.

However, crucial information necessary for providing coordinated services often remains isolated due to physical and legal constraints. Recognizing the need for formal coordination, various state-supported initiatives in health, nutrition, education, safety, and housing aim to bridge this gap. California can capitalize on this opportunity by developing a statewide approach to data sharing across health and social services, using financial and technical resources effectively.

This paper outlines the key components required to expand consent management services from county-level pilots to a statewide information exchange. It emphasizes the importance of informed consent in facilitating data sharing, thereby enhancing service delivery and improving health outcomes. Key recommendations include accelerating the adoption of state legal interpretations of consent to share, advancing technology and policy for consent management, developing standardized consent forms, and establishing statewide consent management programs in collaboration with agencies beyond CalHHS.

About the Authors

Robby Franceschini, JD, MPH, is director of policy, at BluePath Health. Timi Leslie is president at BluePath Health and executive director, Connecting for Better Health. Daniel Stein is president, Kristine McCoy, MD, MPH is senior consultant, and Adam Pertman is senior consultant and editor at Stewards of Change Institute.