HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

219

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO SUPPORT THE FORMATION OF A HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII.

 

 

WHEREAS, the delivery of health care is becoming an increasingly complex process, requiring the coordination of various health care providers; and

WHEREAS, it is becoming vitally important for health care providers to be able to securely and rapidly exchange information regarding a particular patient or groups of patients to deliver timely, effective, and efficient medical care; and

WHEREAS, there are initiatives being undertaken both at the state and federal level and across the United States to develop a regional health information organization, which will facilitate the development of an information exchange system that securely and rapidly exchanges patient-identified information across a broad spectrum of physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers within a state and across state borders, when needed; and

WHEREAS, there is increasing evidence that the development of an information exchange system will not only result in better and more timely care, but also more cost-efficient and error-free care; and

WHEREAS, greatly improved quality, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness of medical care resulting from hospitals, health plans, physicians, and other health care providers having the ability to securely and rapidly exchange information regarding the treatment rendered to a particular patient or groups of patients would greatly benefit the people of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Health Information Exchange, Inc., (HHIE) is a nonprofit corporation recently formed by key stakeholders in the Hawaii health care community, including representatives of various hospitals, health insurers, and physician organizations, and is dedicated to the formation and operation of an information exchange system within the state; and

WHEREAS, the support of state government and its respective agencies is vital to the success of HHIE's effort to create a technological, patient-driven health information exchange system which will accommodate the participation of all the important health care stakeholders within the state, including but not limited to hospitals, health insurers, physicians, laboratories, pharmacies, employers, and nursing homes, and which will improve patient safety and quality of care, reduce costs because of coordination of care and elimination of duplicative tests and procedures, and enable informed and accountable patients to participate in improving their own health; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature supports the efforts of the HHIE in forming and operating a health information exchange system that would securely and rapidly exchange medical information to improve the quality of medical care delivered to the people of Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to support the formation of a health information exchange system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that HHIE urge all licensed health insurers, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies, employers, nursing homes, and physicians to:

(1) Participate in meetings and activities of the HHIE; and

(2) Contribute financially and with in-kind support for the development of a health information exchange system;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health and Executive Director of Hawaii Health Information Exchange, Inc.

 

 

Report Title:

Requesting the Department of Health, as a representative of all relevant state agencies, to support the formation of a health information exchange system for the State of Hawaii.