Sebelius Unveils Proposed Rule On Patient Access To Medical Data
Several news outlets covered Monday's announcement of a proposed HHS rule which
would allow patients to have direct access to test results. The coverage was
largely positive.
Reuters (9/13, Selyukh) reports that that US Department of Health and
Human Services has proposed a new rule which would allow patients obtain test
data from labs, instead of going through their physicians. HHS Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius unveiled the rule on Monday during a meeting on health IT. She
discussed some problems she had encountered when she attempted to obtain
results, and being forced to redo tests.
Modern Healthcare (9/13, Conn) reports, "The proposed rule, slated to
be published in Wednesday's issue of the Federal Register, would amend the
patient privacy provisions of two federal laws, the Clinical Laboratory
Improvement Amendments of 1988, or CLIA, and the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA."
CQ (9/13, Reichard, Subscription Publication) quotes Sebelius as
saying, "When patients have their lab results, they are more likely to ask the
right questions, make better decisions and receive better care." Similarly,
Farzad Mostashari, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology,
stated, "Patients have a right to see their medical records," and "we are here
today to make it easier for them to exercise that right." A
Health Affairs (9/13, Fleming) blog, and
Modern Healthcare (9/13, Daly, Subscription Publication) also cover
the story
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