[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5537 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5537

     To require the Comptroller General to conduct a study of the 
  interoperability of computer systems used by hospitals to store and 
       access electronic health records, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2014

 Mr. McKinley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

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                                 A BILL


 
     To require the Comptroller General to conduct a study of the 
  interoperability of computer systems used by hospitals to store and 
       access electronic health records, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. STUDY ON INTEROPERABILITY OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS USED BY 
              HOSPITALS TO STORE AND ACCESS ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a study of the 
interoperability of computer systems used by hospitals to store and 
access electronic health records, which shall explore--
            (1) the extent to which it is possible for such computer 
        systems to be interoperable to enable authorized personnel of 
        more than one hospital to access and update the electronic 
        health records of the same patient;
            (2) the identity of hospitals in the United States that 
        use, at the time the study is conducted, computer systems with 
        the ability to allow authorized personnel of more than one 
        hospital to access and update the electronic health records of 
        the same patient;
            (3) the reasons why hospitals in the United States do not 
        have computer systems with such ability at the time the study 
        is conducted; and
            (4) the extent to which increased interoperability of such 
        computer systems allows hospitals to more effectively 
        coordinate the care of patients.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 6 months after date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Ways 
and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the study 
conducted under subsection (a), including such recommendations as the 
Comptroller General considers appropriate regarding the use of 
interoperable computer systems by hospitals to store and access 
electronic health records as a method of improving the coordination of 
care of patients.
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