Final answer:
In a health information exchange, patients control the sharing of their data via a consent form which provides details on the exchange process and maintains their privacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a health information exchange, patients opt in or opt out of having their data exchanged via a consent form. This document is crucial for maintaining privacy and ensuring that individuals have control over their personal health information.
When patients sign a consent form, they are informed about what kind of information will be shared, with whom, and for what purposes. Much like participants in a research experiment must sign an informed consent form detailing what the experiment entails and the nature of their participation, patients in a health information exchange need to provide their consent to indicate that they understand and agree to the sharing of their health data.