Tech Trade Group Cheers Health IT Bill Movement
The Information Technology Industry Council, which has been spearheading the high-tech community's efforts to influence legislation aimed at creating a nationwide system of electronic medical records, cheered the House Energy and Commerce Committee's passage of their bill on Wednesday. The House could vote on the measure this fall while a companion bill in the Senate is also awaiting final approval.
"Health IT legislation is an essential step towards improved patient care and today¹s vote brings us closer to turning state of the art electronic medical record-keeping into a reality," ITI lobbyist Kara Calvert said in a press release. "I was happy to see the legislation pass unanimously out of the Energy & Commerce Committee and I thank the members for realizing how important this legislation is."
Health IT is one of the ITI's top priorities in the 110th Congress. The primary goal of the legislation is improving patient care and the efficiency of treatment, while also protecting patient privacy. Many industries have already moved to e-records but the medical field has resisted, the trade group said. Healthcare providers have argued that the expense of transitioning to digital environment could be burdensome.
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