HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology wants to gauge consumer attitudes about using mobile devices to communicate personal health information. The ONC is planning an educational campaign to convey to consumers the need for private and secure health information exchange, and data collected throughout the course of the 24-month campaign will inform the ONC's creation of pertinent public messages and websites, according to a notice scheduled to be published in Tuesday's Federal Register.

With the notice's publication, the ONC is looking for public comment on a proposal to expand the campaign's data collection to include asking consumers for their opinions on using mobile devices to communicate personal health information. The educational campaign itself was mandated by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, but consumers' ever-increasing reliance on mobile technology means the original proposed data collection needs tweaking, according to the ONC.

"Electronic health information exchange promises an array of potential benefits for individuals and the U.S. healthcare system through improved healthcare quality, safety and efficiency," according to the notice. "At the same time, this environment also poses new challenges for protecting health information, including methods for individuals to engage with their healthcare providers and affect how their health information may be exchanged."