Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

1945

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING

EXPLANATORY NOTE

It is the duty of the State to provide quality health services to the people. To this end, the
Constitution provides that the State adopts an integrated and comprehensive approach to health
development which should make essential goods, health services, and other social services more
accessible to people.

This measure seeks to upgrade the current health system and adopt a competent, reliable, and
efficient centralized nationwide health information technology system. This measure
will institutionalize a one patient-one electronic medical record system which would provide
each patient in the Philippines a single electronic medical file (which shall be made accessible at
any health care institution in the Philippines) containing the history of one’s medical condition
and treatments undergone. This removes the repetitive procedure of detailing your medical
history every time you visit a different hospital. As the detailing of medical history to
another health institution only relies on the patient’s or the patient's company’s memories,
there is an increased likelihood of errors in diagnosis due to inaccurate patient
information. The inexistence of readily available medical record in an institution also
forces health professionals to conduct additional tests to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis
which leads to more expenses for patients. The one patient-one medical record system
ensures that patient information is accurate and extensive, consequently allowing any
health institution to provide more efficient medical services to any person.

On behalf of the people of Parafiaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of
the Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought.

|

IYRA ; TAMBUNTIN
/ District, Parafiaque City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._7948

Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING

AN ACT

ESTABLISHING THE ONE PATIENT-ONE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM IN

THE PHILIPPINES THEREBY CREATING THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL

COORDINATOR FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, APPROPRIATING FUNDS

‘THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to establish a
competent, reliable, efficient, integrated and centralized nationwide health information
technology system that allows for the electronic use of patient health record system, that can be
accessible to the patient and his/her healthcare professional as needed anywhere in the country.
This system shall ensure the following:

4

Accurate and appropriate information to help guide medical decisions at the time and
place of care is provided;

.. Early detection, prevention, and management of chronic diseases is promoted;
. Health care quality is improved, and patient-centered medical care is advanced by

reducing medical errors and medical disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of patients;

. Health care cost resulting from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate and duplicative

care is reduced;

. Coordination of care and information among hospitals, laboratories, physician offices, and

other entities is improved through an effective infrastructure for the secure and authorized
exchange of health care information;

. Patient's health information is secured and protected, and in accordance with applicable

law;

. Public health activities are improved and early identification and rapid response to public

health threats and emergencies are facilitated;

. Health and clinical research and health care quality are facilitated;
. Fraud in the use of government social insurance systems such as the PhilHealth, SSS and

GSIS is averted.


SEC. 2. Institutionalization of the One Patient- One Electronic Medical Record System.
There shall be established in the Philippines the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record
System, which is a centralized electronic patient health record system to be managed by the
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology of the Department of Health.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology in coordination with the Department
of Information and Communications Technology ("DICT") shall make and implement such
programs as may be necessary to enable the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System
available in the entire country, even in remote areas with limited access to internet services.

All health care providers and health care professionals keeping medical records of their patients
shall migrate to electronic/digital format copies of such records and integrate the same to the
system provided for by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology. The National
Coordinator shall issue IT Certifications to health care providers and health care professionals of
their compliance to the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System of the Office of the
National Coordinator for Health Technology. Issuance of the IT Certification by the National
Coordinator shall mean that the electronic patient record system of the health care providers and
health care professionals are compatible and are integrated into the One Patient-One Electronic
Medical Record System.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology shall in partnership with the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation ("PhilHealth"), Social Security System ("SSS") and
Government Service Insurance System ("GSIS") make available to PhilHealth, SSS and GSIS such
information as may be necessary to verify claims for benefits before it, in accordance with the
Data Privacy Act.

All persons filing their respective claims with PhilHealth, SSS and GSIS consents to the use of the
data contained in the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System pertaining to them for
verification purposes upon filing of their application for such claims/benefits.

SEC. 3. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. There
shall be created within the Department of Health, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology headed by a National Coordinator who shall be appointed by the
Secretary of Health and shall report directly to the Secretary.

The National Coordinator shall be a Filipino Citizen and shall be of known competence, probity,
integrity and recognized expertise in information systems, management, medicine or law. He shall
be a career official who passed the merit and fitness test of the Civil Service Commission. The
National Coordinator shall perform the following:

1. Coordinate health information policy and programs of the Department of Health with those
of other relevant agencies of the government with the goal of avoiding duplication of
efforts and of helping to ensure that each agency undertakes health information activities
primarily within the areas of its greatest expertise and technical capability and in a manner
towards a coordinated national goal.

2. Become the leading member in the establishment and operations of the Health
Information Technology Policy and Standards Committee CHIT Policy and Standards
Committee);


3. Prepare the National Health IT Strategic Plan in consultation with the appropriate national

agencies and various stakeholders;

4. Maintain and frequently update an Internet website on which there is posted information
on the work, schedules, reports, recommendations, updates on the implementation of the
National Health IT Strategic Plan, issued Certifications, and other information to ensure
transparency in promotion of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure;

. Establish a governance mechanism for the national health information network;

. Establish a program for voluntary certification of health information technology as being
in compliance with the applicable certification criteria issued by the Office of the National
Coordinator for Health Technology of the Department of Health.

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SEC. 4, National Health IT Strategic Plan. The National Coordinator shall after due
consultation and in collaboration with appropriate government agencies and private sector
stakeholders formulate the National Health IT Strategic Plan. The National Strategic Plan shall
identify specific objectives, milestones and metrics and provide measurable outcome goals in the
implementation of the One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System. Specifically, the
National Health IT Strategic Plan shall provide the following:

1. Full implementation and utilization of electronic health record for each patient in the
Philippines in 2030;

2. Electronic exchange and use of health information integration of healthcare providers and
professionals of such information;

3. Incorporation of privacy and security protections for the electronic exchange of individual's
individually identifiable health information;

4. Provision of security methods to ensure appropriate authorization and electronic
authentication of health information;

5. Methods to foster the public understanding of health information technology;

6. Specification on the framework for coordination and flow of recommendations and policies
among the Secretary, the National Coordinator, the HIT Information Technology Policy
and Standards Committee and other health information exchanges and other relevant
entiti

7. Strategies to enhance the use of health information technology information technology in
improving the quality of health care, reducing medical errors, reducing health disparities,
improving public health, increasing prevention and coordination with community
resources, and improving the continuity of care;

8. Specific plans for ensuring that populations with unique needs, such as children, are
appropriately addressed in the technology design, as appropriate, which may include
technology that automates enrollment and retention for eligible individuals.

‘SEC. 5. Certifications. The National Coordinator, in consultation with the DICT shall provide for
a certification criteria and a program for voluntary certification of health information technology
as being in compliance with applicable certification criteria adopted by the National Coordinator
in accordance with the National Health IT Strategic Plan. Certification Criteria means the criteria
or standards and implementation specifications for health information technology to establish that
the technology meets such standards and implementation specifications.

Issuance of the Certification by the National Coordinator means compliance under this Section.


SEC. 6. Health Information Technology Policy and Standards Committee. There shall be
created the Health Information Technology Policy and SEC. 6. Health Information Technology
Policy and Standards Committee. There shall be created the Health Information Technology Policy
and recommendations to the National Coordinator relating to the implementation of the One
Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System including the implementation and of updating of
the National Health IT Strategic Plan. The HIT Policy and Standards Committee shall also
recommend to the National Coordinator standards, implementation specifications and certification
criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information in accordance with the National
Health IT Strategic Plan.

The HIT Policy and Standards Committee is composed of fifteen (15) members, as follows:

1) 3 members representing patients and consumers;

2) 2 members representing health care providers and professionals;

3) 1 member who has expertise in health information privacy and security;

4) 1 member who has expertise in improving the health of vulnerable populations;

5) 2 members who have expertise in information systems management from the private
sector;

6) 1 member shall be from the research community;

7) 1 member shall represent health plans, insurance or other third-party players;

8) 1 member shall represent information technology vendors;

9) 2 member shall be experts on information technology from the DICT;

10) 1 member shall have expertise in health care quality measurement and reporting.

Members to HIT Policy and Standards Committee shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health
and shalll serve for a period of six (6) years. They shall be entitled to such honorarium as the
Secretary of Health may provide, and as approved by the Department of Budget and
Management.

‘A majority of the member of the HIT Policy and Standards. Committee shall constitute a quorum
for purposes of voting, but a lesser number of members may meet and hold meetings.

SEC. 7. Linkages with Social Insurance. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology shall make available to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the
Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System, without cost, such data
as may be necessary for the validation of member claims made with said agencies.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology may, subject to the
consent of the patient, enter into agreements with private health and life insurance companies
for the sharing of medical information.

SEC. 8, Certification Mandatory for PhilHealth Claims for Reimbursement. PhilHealth
and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Technology shall endeavor to provide
healthcare professionals and Healthcare institutions access to the One Patient-One Electronic
Medical Record System.


Access by PhilHealth to patient medical record under the One Patient-One Electronic Medical
Record System is a mandatory requirement prior to payment of PhilHealth claims for
reimbursements of such patient.

PhilHeaith and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology shall
provide for such rules as may be followed, that will allow reimbursements in cases where access
to One Patient-One Electronic Medical Record System is not possible due to lack of internet access
in the area.

SEC. 9, Linkages to Research, The Department of Health shall utilize the information derived
from the data collected by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology for research and in the improvement of programs for the improvement of the health
of the people.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation shall make use of the data collected by the Office of
the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the development of their case rate
system.

‘SEC. 10. Appropriations. An initial amount of 50 Million Pesos (Php 50,000,000.00) is hereby
appropriated under the Department of Health for the implementation of this Act. Thereafter, such
amounts as may be necessary for the continued operation of the system shall be continuously
appropriated in the budget of the Department of Health.

‘SEC. 11. Separability Clause. The provisions of this Act are hereby dectared to be separable,
and in the event any one or more of such provisions are held unconstitutional, they shall not
affect the validity of other provisions.

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive and administrative orders, or parts thereof,
inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 13. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after Its publication In the
Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,