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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MythMan who wrote (123891)	7/24/2010 12:57:18 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 132070

Obama's Electronic Health Records Czar: HIV Status and Abortions Need Not be Included Your BMI is important, but whether you have a infectious incurable life-threatening disease, that's not something that needs to be recorded. And abortions are so private they can be left out too. ......... The law requires Blumenthal's office to set "specific objectives, milestones, and metrics with respect to the following: (i) The electronic exchange and use of health information and the enterprise integration of such information. (ii) The utilization of an electronic health record for each person in the United States by 2014." ..... The regulations state that a user must be able "to create an electronic copy of a patient's clinical information, including, at a minimum, diagnostic test results, problem list, medication list, medication allergy list, and procedures" and that this electronic information must be in a "human readable format." In an interview videotaped on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, CNSNews.com asked Blumenthal whether abortions and HIV tests must be included in an EHR, as the new regulations, on their face, seem to suggest. “The regulations that came out state that hospitals and doctors have to provide problems lists, medications [lists], diagnostic test results, copies of those things in the electronic health record," said CNSNews.com. "Does that mean that a test result like, say, an HIV test or a procedure like an abortion would have to go on an electronic health record” Blumenthal said, “Any specific information recorded in the record is an issue between the doctor and the patient, not an issue that this regulation specifies.” CNSNew.com followed up: "So, when it says a 'test result,' if they did an HIV test they wouldn't have to put it in the record?" "It's between the doctor and the patient," said Blumenthal. CNSNews.com asked: "So what does have to go in there?" "The information that the patient and the physician agree needs to be in the record," said Blumenthal. ......... Among the regulations that Dr. Blumenthal issued last week for health-care providers seeking to demonstrate that they are engaging in “meaningful use” of EHRs is that they: “Maintain an up-to-date problem list of current and active diagnoses." The regulations also require the EHRs to include a patient's "problem list" as well as "procedures." What a "problem list" must entail is defined in separate federal regulations – referenced in those issued by Dr. Blumenthal on July 13. These regulations say such a list will include: “(i) Diseases. (ii) Injuries. (iii) Impairments. (iv) Other health problems and their manifestations. (v) Causes of injury, disease, impairment, or other health problems.” "Procedures" are defined as actions taken with regard to: “(i) Prevention. (ii) Diagnosis. (iii) Treatment. (iv) Management,” of those things listed on the problems list. cnsnews.com