Dennis Moore: “Information technology has significantly changed the way we live and do business, making it easier to communicate with…”

“Information technology has significantly changed the way we live and do business, making it easier to communicate with others, manage our personal finances or even track a package we ship across the country. Unfortunately, the health care industry lags far behind other sectors in its utilization of information technology. The inefficiencies and redundancies that result from this lack of automation costs the industry billions of dollars a year, but, more importantly, it costs lives and reduces quality of care. As Congress considers health care reform proposals, focus should be given to system changes providing patients with more choices, more convenience and control over their health care records. That is why today I will be introducing the Independent Health Record Trust Act. I will introduce this with Congressman Paul Ryan from Wisconsin, and we have over 30 original cosponsors, to establish a market-driven approach to building a national health information network through the establishment of federally certified organizations called Independent Health Record Trusts. Individuals would have the option to sign up for an account to be managed by a health record trust similar to the way banks offer and maintain credit card accounts. Patients will have ownership of their electronic records and can create multiple health entries so their dermatologist will not see their mental health history. We will be introducing this today. We hope for speedy passage through the Congress.”