The electronic medical records bill is signed into law.
The goal of the WIRED for Health Act (AB-779) is to strengthen the ability of health care providers in Wisconsin to securely share electronic patient data. Wisconsin Hospital Association President Steve Brenton is pleased with the file-sharing legislation that aims to avoid duplicative tests, and decrease costs.
Brenton says the law will allow physicians and nurses to have immediate access to a patient’s medical history, and past treatment methods. Brenton says many organizations have already adopted electronic health records. The challenge, he says, is getting that information from one provider to another in a timely manner. Brenton adds, privacy concerns are taken “extremely seriously” as they move in to the necessary adoption of electronic health records.
“There are federal and state laws — strict laws — that guarantee privacy, and also guarantee patient compliance and patient sign-off as it relates to the exchange of electronic health records.”
The State of Wisconsin is receiving $9.4 million in federal funds for the planning and development of a statewide network to exchange electronic medical records.
NOTE: The funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes between $500 million to $800 million in incentive payments for health care providers to establish and start using electronic medical records.
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