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2007 SESSION

078807544
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 649
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 9, 2007
Directing the Joint Commission on Health Care to study the increased use of electronic personal health records. Report.
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Patron-- Watts
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, health information technology and the use of electronic personal health records have been shown to reduce medical errors, and improve diagnoses and overall health care by allowing doctors and patients alike to track patient prescriptions, medications, allergies, and medical histories; and 

WHEREAS, the use of health information technology and the use of electronic personal health records increases patient privacy and security by requiring persons accessing records to authenticate their identities and by creating and storing a list of every individual who accesses the record; and

WHEREAS, the use of health information technology and the use of electronic personal health records have been shown to reduce health care spending by eliminating unwarranted tests, procedures and prescriptions, and improving safety and efficiency; and

WHEREAS, there is a clear need for identifying the steps that can be taken to implement the use of health information technology and electronic personal health records in the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Joint Commission on Health Care be directed to study the increased use of electronic personal health records.

In conducting its study, the Joint Commission on Health Care shall study factors affecting adoption of health information technology in the Commonwealth including (i) the current rate of use of health information technology and electronic personal health records in the Commonwealth, (ii) factors impeding the increased use of health information technology and electronic personal health records in the Commonwealth, and (iii) steps that could be taken to expand the use of health information technology and electronic personal health records in the Commonwealth.

Technical assistance shall be provided to the Joint Commission on Health Care by the Department of Health and the Joint Commission on Technology and Science. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Joint Commission on Health Care for this study, upon request.

The Joint Commission on Health Care shall complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2007, and for the second year by November 30, 2008, and the executive director shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year. Each executive summary shall state whether the Joint Commission on Health Care intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summaries and reports shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.