Information Technology for Health Care Quality Act

Bill: 108-s-2907
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2004-10-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Armed Forces and National Security
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Computer security measures
Computer software
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Cost effectiveness
Data banks
Department of Health and Human Services
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic data interchange
Employee training
Executive Office of the President
Executive reorganization
Federal aid to health facilities
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Health information systems
Health insurance
Health planning
Health surveys
Hospital personnel
Hospitals
Human engineering
Information technology
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Medical personnel
Medical records
Medical technology
Medically uninsured
Military medicine
Minorities
Minority health
Performance measurement
Pharmacies
Physicians
Presidential appointments
Public health administration
Public-private partnerships
Quality of care
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-06
text: 
Information Technology for Health Care Quality Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of Health Information Technology to: (1) improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery through the use of health information technology; (2) provide national leadership relating to such technology; (3) direct all Federal health information technology activities; (4) facilitate the interaction between the Federal Government and the private sector relating to the development and use of such technology; and (5) develop a national strategy for improving the quality and enhancing the efficiency of health care through the use of such technology and the creation of a National Health Information Infrastructure. 
 
Requires the Director of the Office to approve or disapprove the policies of Federal departments or agencies that would significantly affect the use of such technology, and provide for the adoption and dissemination of Government standards that promote the efficient exchange of data between health information technology systems. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from purchasing any health care information technology system that is not in compliance with such standards.
 
Requires the Director to guarantee payment of the principal and interest on loans made to eligible entities, and award competitive matching grants, to: (1) implement local health information infrastructure to facilitate the development of interoperability across health care settings; or (2) facilitate the purchase and adoption of health information technology.
 
Requires the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish uniform health care quality measures and public reporting requirements across all federally supported health delivery programs. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2004-10-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 10/7/2004 S10581-10582)
action_date: 2004-10-06
text: Introduced in Senate