{"id":723,"date":"2006-02-24T11:32:00","date_gmt":"2006-02-24T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/?p=723"},"modified":"2006-02-24T11:32:00","modified_gmt":"2006-02-24T17:32:00","slug":"barton-works-to-improve-medical-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/barton-works-to-improve-medical-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Barton works to improve medical records"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the WDL<\/A>
\nBarton works to improve medical records<\/p>\n

By JONATHAN BLUNDELL Daily Light staff writer<\/p>\n

In an effort to increase efficiency and save medical costs, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Waxahachie) is helping lead legislation through the Energy and Commerce Committee that would enable health care records to be stored and transferred electronically.
\nThe Wired for Health Care Quality Act, or S 1418, was unanimously passed in the Senate in November and awaits approval from the House.
\nThe bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) in January and is being looked at by the Subcommittee on Health.
\nA similar bill, HR 4157, was also introduced in the House by Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) in October and was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
\nProponents of the plan say it will enhance the adoption of a nationwide health information technology system and enable health records to be passed quickly from doctor to doctor and health care providers to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The general issue is that medical records are in the dark ages,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Barton, who was admitted briefly to George Washington University Hospital after a heart attack on Dec. 15. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When I was in the hospital last time I had to answer the same questions four or five times. People are still using manual files and manually writing things down. And if they do update the records on the computer, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re keeping it on their own workstation and not sharing it with other computers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBarton said it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not clear if his committee or the house will move on any one specific bill yet, but the Energy and Commerce Committee expects to hold hearings on the general issue within the next month.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We may choose one of the bills already introduced as a base bill but we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re still discussing the general issue now,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Barton said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have the secretary of health testifying before my committee on the bill this week. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been supportive of the concept.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBarton said he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also met with the new House Majority Leader, U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), who is also supportive of the idea.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I think this is something we can move into play this year,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Barton said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I believe it will save tens of thousands of dollars with the improvements and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get a lot more efficiency when you transfer records electronically with proper confidentiality agreements.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBut patients\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 privacy and confidentiality has Dr. Deborah Peel, founder of Patient Privacy Rights, concerned.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The only reason people trust the health care system now is that people expect their doctors to protect their information,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But many people don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t realize they had their rights eliminated in 2003.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nIn 1996, Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 health isurance coverage when they change or lose their jobs.
\nBut amendments to the bill in 2003 allow certain entities the right to view patients\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 records.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Several hundred thousand entities have the right to look at records without the patient ever knowing,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Diane Quest, a PPR consultant. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Self-insured employers, insurance companies, pharmacies, doctors and any businesses associated with health care can all view a patient\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s records. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re concerned that the new bills in Congress don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any teeth in them in regards to protecting privacy.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nNot only do the entities have the right to look at new records, but older records that patients may have requested to remain private as well.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The April 2003 amendments are retroactive,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This amendment applies to all records prior to 2003 \u00c3\u0090 regardless of whether you signed forms thinking that information was private.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nQuest and Peel both said they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not against the bills, but are concerned that all aspects are covered.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153When you make records electronic there are good things that happen,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Quest said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re concerned about the privacy issues. The records will become more accessible to everyone and the bills that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re considering rely on HIPAA for protecting rights, but HIPAA doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do enough to protect patients.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nOne of Peel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s greatest concerns is that patients will never know who has access or who looks at their records.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153None of the bills presented so far give patients the right to see and control who sees their information,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They may never know who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s looking at their private medical records. That might not seem like a big deal, but there are medical conditions a patient may have that you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want your pharmacy or employer or just any hospital employee to know about.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Health practitioners, hospitals, insurance plans and self insured employers all have federal permission to disclose your health care information,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All of them can use and disclose your record even if you object \u00c3\u0090 and they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to keep audit trails. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in danger where even if patients don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t choose to allow sharing their records people can still see them without permission. The right to consent has been replaced by federal regulatory permission for 600,000 entities to view your information.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nPeel said she is hopeful that Barton will be as stringent with protecting patients\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 records as he has been with financial and data information.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re very hopeful that Barton will be a medical privacy hero as he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been for data breaches and privacy of other kinds of records,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been a powerful advocate for privacy in other areas and we hope he does the right thing in this area, too.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBarton and the Energy and Commerce Committee recently held hearings on keeping personal phone records private.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our e-mail is clogged with spam. Our computers are covertly monitored with spyware. Our personal information is bought and sold by information brokers. And now we learn that a phone number and one hundred dollars can buy you a month\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth of call information for just about anyone,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Barton said in a press conference following the hearings. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153These are very personal and private records of who we call, when we call and how long we spend on the telephone call. This is an invasion into our personal privacy and, if I have anything to do with it, will not be allowed to continue for very much longer.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re hoping, that as the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Barton will set the bar high for medical records and consumer control as he has for financial and consumer records,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Every survey says people are concerned about their medical privacy. You want people treating you to have the information they need, but you need to have control over who sees that information.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nPeel said a similar issue has arisen within the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We had a VA doctor write his personal position to us,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The VA is a prime example of what this new system could look like. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s designed for use by doctors and the government essentially for their own uses, without input or consent from the veterans.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nWhile the system is designed to allow VA doctors the ability to easily share information across the country, Peel said anyone in a VA hospital can see your records.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153If they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want info shared they have to be rich enough to go outside the system,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you have a record in San Diego they can pull it up in Washington, D.C., but anyone with access to the system can read everything. There are many things available on your records that you might never imagine anyone would know about, other than your personal doctor, but they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re available to anyone who picks up your chart.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nPeel said just like credit or financial records, patients need more control over their records.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Patients should decide who gets to view information,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Every patient doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want each and every one of their doctors to see everything. You may not want your psychologist, and certainly not your employer, to know of certain medical conditions that don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t concern them, such as an STD.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nAnother area of concern is between security and privacy of records.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s confusing when you talk about security and privacy protection,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Peel said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Where as security protection is a firewall and encryption to keep outside users of the data away, privacy matters concern those within the system gaining access to records without a patient\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s consent. Obviously there have to be high security areas put in and of course the public is completely petrified of security breaches, but we also need to be as concerned about the privacy of records.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBarton said while other bills presented lack patient privacy initiatives, he is a supporter of patient privacy and his committee is actively working to protect patients\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rights.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153On the issue of patient privacy, we can work on that,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Barton said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing specific in the Senate bill, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll improve in the house.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBarton said fellow committee member Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Florida) was directly working on patient\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s privacy for the bill.
\nThe Energy and Commerce committee is expected to continue hearings before a bill is brought before the house.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The first thing we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll do is have a legislative or general policy hearing,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Barton said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll hold a mark up on a specific bill before amendments will be added and a vote taken.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBarton said there was no specific time line on when that vote might come.<\/p>\n

On the Internet:
\nOn the web visit: http:\/\/www.patientprivacyrights.org<\/A> and http:\/\/joebarton.house.gov<\/A><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the WDL Barton works to improve medical records By JONATHAN BLUNDELL Daily Light staff writer In an effort to increase efficiency and save medical costs, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Waxahachie) is helping lead legislation through the Energy and Commerce Committee that would enable health care records to be stored and transferred electronically. The Wired … Continue reading Barton works to improve medical records<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pEnSo-bF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}