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Sen. Clinton Unveils Health Care IT Proposal
 January 13, 2004  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Monday proposed legislation
that would create a national information technology infrastructure and allow
health providers to share electronic health records, research, prescriptions and
other information, AP/Long Island Newsday reports (AP/Long Island
Newsday, 1/13). Clinton called the health care system “fragmented, redundant, inefficient and bureaucratic” and said it has failed to use IT to improve patient care management. She unveiled her five-part plan to modernize the health care system during a speech at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital (Rose, New York Daily News, 1/13). The plan calls for Congress to fund research on the quality of health care systems, medical procedures, drugs and therapies to help patients and physicians make informed decisions. Her proposal also would create a standardized reporting system for U.S. hospitals that would allow patients to go online to compare hospital performance. Providers would receive government assistance to update their computer systems for exchanging information, and the plan would reward hospitals that provide high-quality care. Additionally, the legislation calls on the government to make medical records accessible for physicians via handheld devices and for patients via the Internet (Levy, New York Sun, 1/13). Clinton’s plan also would establish voluntary interoperability standards that would enable hospital and physician office systems to exchange information (Sen. Clinton press release, 1/12). “Americans need a new, modern, 21st-century version of health care delivery, based on the premise of information in the hands of the right people at the right time,” Clinton said (Kugler, AP/Yahoo News, 1/12). Technology spending averages just $3,000 per worker in health care, compared with $7,000 per worker for all U.S. industries and up to $15,000 per worker in banking, Clinton said. She also noted that 90% of primary care physicians in Sweden and almost 60% in the United Kingdom were using electronic health records in 2002, compared with only 17% in the United States. Clinton said she plans to introduce the legislation on Jan. 20 (Conn, Modern Physician, 1/12). In a similar move, Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) in July 2003 introduced the National Health Information Infrastructure Act of 2003 (H.R. 2915), a bill that would create a national system for patient data interchange and coordinate public and private IT efforts. The bill, which includes provisions for voluntary data standards and patient access to medical records, would also establish a national IT infrastructure based on interoperable provider systems, in order to reduce medical errors, paperwork and costs (iHealthBeat, 7/25/2003). Reaction Clinton’s plan is a “very thoughtful approach to a very complicated area,” said Dr. Benjamin Chu, president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp (AP/Yahoo News, 1/13). However, concerns about rising malpractice costs could overshadow the plan to cut down on administrative waste and update health care IT, according to Dr. Antonio Gotto, dean of the Weill Cornell Medical Center (New York Sun, 1/13). While physicians gave Clinton a standing ovation for her speech, some said she should have included reforms to cut back on the high costs of malpractice insurance. “This is the biggest crisis we’re facing,” said Dr. Frank Chervenak, chairman of New York-Presbyterian’s obstetrics and gynecology department (New York Daily News, 1/13). |
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