Rhode Island HIE Legislation Underway
TODAY'S HITS HEADLINES: 2-13-08
Legislators in the Ocean State have introduced the Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 to facilitate secure patient data exchange as providers prepare to launch an HIE.
The legislation addresses privacy and security issues of an information exchange, which has been under development by the Rhode Island Quality Institute since 2004 through a five-year, $5 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The institute partnered with the state to develop the act.
Security measures through the act will ensure patients are aware of the exchange and have given permission to share their data.
The exchange is voluntary for both providers and patients, who will have the right to terminate participation at any time, under the new legislation.
Consumers also will be able to obtain reports of what information is shared and who is accessing it, as well as notices of security breaches. -- by Jean DerGurahian/ HITS staff writer
EHRs & PHRs: iHealthBeat
February 14, 2008
Rhode Island Bill Aims To Facilitate Statewide Health Data Exchange
Rhode Island lawmakers this week introduced legislation aimed at addressing privacy and security issues related to the exchange of patient data as the state prepares to launch a health information exchange, Health IT Strategist reports.
The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 would ensure that patients are aware of the health information exchange and have given permission to share their data. In addition, the bill would make the exchange voluntary for both providers and patients, and they would have the right to terminate participation at any time. The bill also would give consumers access to what information is shared and who is accessing it, as well as reports of security breaches.
Since 2004, the Rhode Island Quality Institute has been working to develop a statewide health data exchange through a five-year, $5 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (DerGurahian, Health IT Strategist, 2/13).
Readers are invited to send feedback to: ihb@chcf.org
LEGISLATION TO FACILITATE AND SAFEGUARD SHARING OF PATIENT INFORMATION
Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 will help improve care and make RI a national leader in effective use of health information technology
PROVIDENCE, RI, February 12, 2008 – Legislation to be introduced today in the Rhode Island General Assembly will facilitate and safeguard the sharing of patient information and make the state a national leader in the effective use of technology to improve care. Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-Dist. 13, Jamestown, Newport) and House Representative Peter F. Kilmartin (D-Dist. 61, Pawtucket), the Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 creates strong patient privacy and data security protections for information shared through Rhode Island’s soon to be launched Health Information Exchange (HIE)—a secure electronic network for sharing patient information and healthcare data with the patient’s permission.
“Patient care today involves a variety of providers and specialists. Unfortunately, practitioners currently have no systemized way to get the whole picture of one’s health care,” said Laura Adams , President and CEO of the Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI). “The development of a state wide HIE will allow patients to authorize their doctors and other health care providers to easily, securely and effectively share information with each other when needed in order to improve care, help prevent duplicate tests, and reduce medical errors. To achieve these tremendous benefits however, patients must have confidence in the privacy and security of their personal health information. That’s why we’ve worked hard with the State and the community to develop this legislation.”
Since 2004, RIQI—a not-for-profit community-based group—has been partnering with the State of Rhode Island to lead a community-based effort to design and build a statewide electronic health information exchange under a 5-year, $5 million dollar demonstration grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Rhode Island was one of only six states nationally to receive such a grant.
“The potential benefits of this legislation are tremendous for both patients and doctors,” said Senate Majority Leader Paiva Weed. “The bill gives patients a way to give all of their doctors secure, authorized access to the same complete set of information they need to provide the best possible treatment and care.”
Developed by the RIQI in partnership with the State of RI over the past 18 months, the bill is the product of a comprehensive and broad-based community engagement process that included consumers, consumer advocate organizations, physicians and other providers, insurers, hospitals, universities, employers, and state officials.
“It’s hard to believe that in the age of the Internet, email, and all things digital, our health records are still primarily kept in paper files,” said Representative Kilmartin. “Research shows that consumers also want to use health information technology to obtain the best possible care and to better manage their family’s health. This bill will go a long way towards moving our health care system safely into the digital age for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders.”
The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 creates a set of critical patient safeguards, many of which go well beyond existing state and federal privacy and data security protections. Baseline consumer protections in the bill include:
- Clear language that participation in the HIE is voluntary – both consumers and providers get to choose whether or not to participate
- The ability to obtain a copy of confidential health care information in the HIE
- The ability to obtain a copy of a Disclosure Report detailing what entities have accessed a patient’s confidential health care information in the HIE
- Notification of any breach of security of the HIE
- The right to terminate participation in the HIE
- The right to request that inaccurate HIE information be corrected
- Strong data security procedures
- The creation of an HIE Advisory Commission to provide community input into the use of confidential health care information in the HIE
“Patients must have confidence in the privacy and security of their personal health information,” said Kathleen Connell, State Director, AARP-RI and a participant in the community legislation development process. “This legislation is the product of a truly collaborative effort designed to balance and reflect the diverse perspectives, needs, and interests of the entire Rhode Island community and we are confident that this bill will help improve the quality of patient care while also protecting consumers’ rights and information.”
"As Rhode Island works toward real health care reform we need to make sure that health information technology is fully integrated into all aspects of the system,” said Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts. “Rhode Islanders need to be confident that this technology will be used appropriately and confidentially, and we need to pass legislation this session that will earn this confidence."
"A statewide health information technology network will save lives, significantly cut skyrocketing health care costs, and help give patients and their families peace of mind," said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). "As Attorney General, I was proud to have helped establish the Quality Institute, and now in the Senate, I'm working to establish a nationwide health information technology infrastructure that will improve the coordination of care, lead to fewer medical errors, and save our health care system billions of dollars. Here Rhode Island is leading the way."
The Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI) is a statewide collaboration of hospitals, physicians, nurses, health insurers, consumers, business, government and academia working together to significantly improve health care in Rhode Island . Founded in 2001, the RIQI’s strategic focus includes building a statewide health care information exchange and interoperability and ensuring the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) as the foundation for continual improvement in the quality of care. The RIQI is leveraging RI’s unique characteristics (small size, line of sight trust, and governmental accessibility) to demonstrate how the health care system can be improved through collaborative innovation. For more information, visit www.riqi.org.
FACT SHEET - The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008
What is a Health Information Exchange (HIE)?
§ A secure electronic network for sharing clinical information and healthcare data with the patient’s permission.
Why is an HIE necessary?
§ Our current paper-based system is fraught with error and waste. Providers struggle to piece together critical information on patients in emergencies, and are often forced to make clinical decisions with inadequate information.
§ Consumers often see multiple providers (the average Medicare consumer sees 6.4 providers annually). The inability to share information across providers often results in poor continuity of care or compromises patient safety.
All Rhode Islanders will benefit from a statewide HIE that will:
§ Allow physicians and providers to electronically collect, transmit, and share critical medical information in a way that safeguards privacy and security.
§ Reduce medical errors and waste and improve care Empower patients to more easily access information about who has viewed their records
Consumers want a HIE that increases the safety and quality of their care, and safeguards the privacy and security of their personal health information.
§ The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Act of 2008 creates strong patient privacy and data security protections for information shared through the HIE.
§ Many of these provisions go well beyond existing state and federal privacy and data security protections.
The bill creates numerous explicit consumer safeguards including:
§ Clear language that participation in the HIE is voluntary – both consumers and providers get to choose whether or not to participate
§ The ability to obtain a copy of confidential health care information in the HIE
§ The ability to obtain a copy of a Disclosure Report detailing what entities have accessed a patient’s confidential health care information in the HIE
§ Notification of any breach of security of the HIE
§ The right to terminate participation in the HIE
§The right to request that inaccurate HIE information be corrected
§ Strong data security procedures
§ The creation of an HIE Advisory Commission to provide community input into the use of confidential health care information in the HIE
This legislation is the product of a comprehensive and broad-based community engagement process that included consumers, consumer advocate organizations, physicians and other providers, insurers, hospitals, universities, employers, and state officials.
§ 20 separate opportunities for committees and community members to provide feedback.
§ An online survey to solicit feedback from all community members.
§ A half day workshop bringing together 32 community members and RIQI staff for a facilitated discussion using a combination of multi-voting, and small and large group discussions to address HIE legislation concerns.
§The outcome of this extensive process is a piece of legislation that truly reflects the will of the RI community as a whole, not just the will of a few community voices.
TESTIMONIALS:
“The establishment of the health information exchange will help me take better care of my patients. With more of my patients getting their care from multiple doctors and using multiple labs, x-ray facilities, pharmacies, and hospitals, it is more important than ever that I be able to access all of their information promptly and easily, in order to provide high quality care, reduce the risk of errors, and avoid wasteful duplicate testing.”
Yul D. Ejnes, MD, FACP
Immediate Past Chair, American College of Physicians, Board of Governors
" Rhode Island 's hospitals and the patients they serve will directly benefit from the creation of a Health Information Exchange. Allowing for the electronic sharing of critical patient information will improve care, create efficiencies, and reduce administrative costs. "
Edward Quinlan, President, Hospital Association of Rhode Island (HARI)
"The introduction of legislation to authorize an HIE for Rhode Island is an important first step in improving health outcomes while maintaining patient privacy rights."
Elizabeth Gemski, American Cancer Society - Rhode Island Chapter
Here in Rhode Island , we are fortunate to have a strong spirit of collaboration that is helping to identify and address potential barriers created by new health information technologies. Under the umbrella of the Rhode Island Quality Institute, every constituency of health care, as well as health insurance, consumer and public interest groups are working collaboratively to come up with innovative solutions to improve the quality of health care for all populations. Our diverse stakeholders have worked long and hard to reach consensus on many complex issues so that we can build a health care system that works for everyone. As a result, we are lowering barriers so that Rhode Island physicians—in any size and type of practice— are able to select and use electronic health records. We are working to develop a statewide health information exchange which will connect these electronic medical records and enable continuity of care independent of provider type, location or other circumstance.”
Charles B. Eaton, M.D. M.S.
Director, Brown University Center for Primary Care and Prevention
posted by Bob Coli, MD | 6:44 PM
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