Members of the Health IT Data Governance Work Group reviewed a draft release-of-information (consent) form and accompanying FAQ for the Colorado Social and Health Information Exchange (COSHI) at the group’s July meeting. Staff said the form is being piloted for early use cases and will eventually serve as a single consent registry for COSHI.

The work group discussed three core elements: the consent statement that defines what social-health information will be shared; an acknowledgement section that explains how to revoke consent and the effects of revocation; and a short signature/communications section that asks for permission to receive phone, email or text messages about COSHI. Ali McGee, identified in the meeting as the consent lead, asked members to evaluate whether the form’s language felt clear, friendly and left people with a genuine choice: “do you feel like you have a choice when you're signing this form?”

Why the discussion mattered: COSHI is intended to let trusted organizations share social-health information—such as food insecurity, housing status or transportation needs—to coordinate supports. Because many early COSHI users will be Medicaid members, participants pressed staff to make the form both legally sufficient and easy for community members to understand.

Key points from the presentation and discussion

- Scope and current pilots: Staff said COSHI’s initial use cases include sharing data with a regional accountable entity and HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) partners. For those early pilots, staff reported they are relying on existing HMIS release forms and that the COSHI form represents the system’s pilot for in-system consent. Staff said the intent is that, over time, COSHI will host a registry so community members will sign once and not need repeat consent for each new COSHI-supported use case.

- Data type and limits: Presenters described the exchange as focused on "social health" data and stated that COSHI will not share broader medical records as part of this consent; examples given included food needs, housing and transportation barriers. Participants asked for clearer examples in the FAQ to show concrete benefits to community members.

- Readability and accessibility: Multiple members urged simpler language and better clarity for English learners. Giovanna recommended spelling out acronyms and using the more approachable name Health First Colorado when referring to Medicaid, rather than the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing acronym. A participant suggested adding the parenthetical “(agree)” after the word consent for English learners.

- Safety for undocumented residents: A participant asked whether undocumented people should avoid filling out the form, noting concern about immigration enforcement. Staff noted the comment and said they would consider adding clarifying language and address questions in the FAQ.

- Auto-population and modality differences: Members asked whether fields (name, address, gender) would auto-populate when community members complete the form online and how in-office paper intake would be handled. Staff said technical implementation details will vary by modality and they will consult the technical team about what can be pre-filled.

- Revocation and communications: Presenters emphasized that revoking consent stops future sharing of new data but does not retroactively remove previously shared records. Participants requested that the form and FAQ explicitly explain the steps to revoke consent (who to contact and how) and how to opt out of communications (for example, texting a stop command).

- Tone and supporting materials: Staff intentionally kept the consent form short and proposed delivering a separate FAQ sheet and suggested infographic to explain benefits and use cases. Some participants recommended placing a succinct “Why this matters” example or flowchart at the top of the FAQ to show a concrete use case (for example, how a housing referral might proceed) so potential signers can quickly see direct benefits.

Next steps and staff commitments

Staff said they will share the action-item list developed from prior meeting feedback before the end of the week and will incorporate the group’s comments into the next draft. The consent topic will return to the work group for additional review once revisions to the consent form and FAQ are ready. Presenters also said they will consult technical teams about auto-fill options and will add more explicit revocation instructions and clearer naming (Health First Colorado/Medicaid) in the materials.

The meeting closed with a reminder that the work group’s feedback will guide subsequent edits and that the agency seeks iterative input as COSHI’s consent strategy is finalized.