Untitled Document

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

March 24, 2005 Hearing Room 357

1:00 P.M. Tapes 29 – 30

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. John Dallum, Chair

Rep. Jerry Krummel, Vice-Chair

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Rep. Chuck Burley

Rep. Brad Witt

Rep. Kelley Wirth, Vice-Chair

STAFF PRESENT: Dallas Weyand, Committee Administrator

Louann Rahmig, Committee Assistant

MEASURES/ISSUES HEARD:

Electronic Health Records Task Force Report–Informational Meeting

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 29, A
004	Chair Dallum	Calls the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m. Announces that they will serve as a subcommittee due to Rep. Witt and Rep. Burley traveling and Rep. Wirth being “in transit.” Opens the informational meeting on electronic health records task force report.
Electronic health records task force report – INFORMATIONAL MEETING
016	Gretchen Morley	Director, Health Policy Commission. Gives history of the Commission. Provides background of the Electronic Health Records Task Force.
036	Jody Pettit	Internist, Providence Medical Center. Refers to the Oregon Health Policy Commission Electronic Health Records and Data Connectivity report (EXHIBIT A). Explains the goal of the subcommittee which is to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care, and the flow of patient information and medical knowledge.
070	Pettit	Describes the membership of the subcommittee and their charge, which was to make recommendations regarding the role of the state to make Oregonians’ health information available anytime and anywhere.
093	Pettit	Summarizes the subcommittee’s recommendations, which include the use of national standards.
120	Pettit	Believes the financing for start-up costs should come from the private sector, ultimately building a financially sustainable model for data exchange. Discusses the Public Employees Benefit Board (PEBB) work on the use of health information technology. Explains that a study has been undertaken to determine who has electronic medical records and the readiness of others to accept the technology.
152	Pettit	Believes the state should coordinate with the private sector on communication campaigns to promote public awareness of the importance of health information technology.
173	Pettit	Concludes with a recommendation that the state participate in pilot projects and that a health information technology coordinator be appointed through the Office of Health Policy and Research.
190	Chair Dallum	Comments that there was a discussion in the interim committee that there would be savings realized if the Oregon Health Plan was moved into a technological setting. Asks if there would be savings.
197	Pettit	Answers, yes. Explains that there is enormous redundancy with data being collected that has already been collected at some point. States that patient history should be documented only once.
216	Pettit	Continues that the savings would be in administrative time.
228	Chair Dallum	Expresses concern with the Oregon Health Plan. Asks if the subcommittee looked at possible savings.
237	Pettit	Describes a group in Boston called the Center for Information Technology Leadership that did a study which showed a $78 billion saving, and Oregon would be about one percent of that. Continues that was on the “end point.”
254	Chair Dallum	Inquires if the veterans system offers a model that might work for Oregon Health Plan recipients.
261	Pettit	Replies that the Veterans Administration is a shining example of health information technology and is a good model. Advises that the software is public domain.
269	Chair Dallum	Asks for an estimate of time to put a model in place.
277	Pettit	Responds, several years up to a decade.
294	Rep. Krummel	Asks if SB 541 (EXHIBIT B) is along the lines of the recommendations.
302	Pettit	Answers that they didn’t recommend a task force but there is overlap. Believes there would be more impact with a funded, staffed position.
320	Rep. Krummel	Refers to the Medicare electronic billing process. Asks how to provide incentive for the small clinics.
359	Pettit	Responds that Medicare is playing a role in demonstration projects trying to align financial incentives. Believes the state could do something similar through the Oregon Health Plan.
TAPE 30, A
006	Rep. Krummel	Asks about the possibility of using a “smart card” that would create a health savings account type of system within the Oregon Health Plan.
024	Pettit	Replies that there are vendors developing that technology. Continues that people forget to bring information so the record probably needs to reside somewhere, perhaps on the internet. Goes on that there is a concept for health records banks which would store data.
050	Rep. Krummel	Asks about practice management software becoming all-inclusive to allow for upgrades.
081	Pettit	Advises that there are a number of practice management vendors that have an electronic health record component but they vary in the degree of interface.
102	Chair Dallum	Asks if a pilot program will be a result of this health care committee.
113	Pettit	Responds that in other states there has been a public/private collaborative model where the state works with the private sector. Sees the pilot evolving in that way.
121	Chair Dallum	Expresses a sense of urgency to increase the number of people served or improving the quality of service.
130	Pettit	Comments that health care issues are paramount and the focus of the pilot should be on the uninsured and underinsured.
148	Chair Dallum	States that a way to pick up the pace of the project would be to put the savings back into the system at the beginning.
164	Rep. Krummel	Comments that the standards that are set need to have involvement of the state. Refers to the action plan in EXHIBIT A. Asks if we should encourage our insurance carriers to contract only with providers who utilize electronic medical records.
191	Morley	Advises that PEBB built into a recent request for proposal process more quality measures, looking for plans that would be vesting in activities that would improve the quality of care.
203	Pettit	Concludes with comments that health care is an issue that affects every one, and while monetary gains are there, it takes faith to streamline the system.
216	Dallas Weyand	Committee administrator. Asks if any legislation is being drafted to implement the action plan.
220	Pettit	Replies that they have been working on SB 541 and there will be modifications.
228	Chair Dallum	Closes the informational meeting on electronic health records task force report.
229	Chair Dallum	Announces a planned road trip to Fossil, Oregon, on April 7, 2005, and outlines the proposed schedule.
313	Chair Dallum	Adjourns the meeting at 1:50 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

Oregon Health Policy Commission, Electronic Health Records & Data Connectivity, printed report, Jody Pettit, 20 pp
SB 541, printed bill, staff, 2 pp