[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 102 (Friday, July 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1605-E1606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROMOTION ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4157) to 
     amend the Social Security Act to encourage the dissemination, 
     security, confidentiality and usefulness of health 
     information technology:

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express some concerns with the 
bill before us, but also to urge my colleagues to find ways to 
encourage the careful development of meaningful health information 
technology systems. It is critical that we move rapidly toward the 
development and implementation of an electronic health information 
system, but it also is critical that this be done with great 
forethought and integrity.
  I regret that I cannot support the bill before us today because it 
fails to include critical components mandating quality in our health 
care technology systems. Furthermore, I echo the concerns of my 
colleagues regarding the need for patient privacy standards and 
important consumer protections.
  This is a missed opportunity for our nation's health care system. The 
goal of moving health care from pen and paper to the digital age has 
enjoyed bipartisan support. I am troubled that the bill presented to 
the House of Representatives today fails to meet the standards of the 
bipartisan coalition spearheaded by my colleague, Patrick Kennedy.
  In recent years, I have been proud to see the health care community 
in Rhode Island come together to accelerate the use of health

[[Page E1606]]

information technology in our state. One project in particular--and 
this is just one of many--called EHR-RI, has brought together 
physicians, hospital administrators and insurance company 
representatives to focus on the goals of getting this technology into 
physicians' offices and aiding in the often-complicated transition to 
new systems. The health care community recognizes the need to 
compromise and work in collaboration to achieve the goals of using 
technology to help patients and their families.
  Because the efficient use of technology is central to our efforts to 
control costs and increase quality in health care, I urge my colleagues 
in Congress to follow their lead. Support stronger legislation that 
would truly advance the electronic health information exchange in our 
nation's health care system.

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