In order to support its e-Consent initiative, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's Office of the Chief Privacy Officer has awarded a $1.2 million contract to software developer APP Design, InformationWeek reports. According to the contract, the developer must create ways to "educate and inform" patients of their electronic health data sharing options in the clinical arena, and a vendor must help patients grasp the consequences of their choices. One healthcare expert said, "e-Consent is an extremely important, yet difficult, effort...Patient data can be used in a multitude of ways across the continuum of care." Meanwhile, Health Data Management reports that the industry will continue to see an "increased emphasis" on the privacy and security of health data.  
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