ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS

WHEREAS, Americans expect health care services to be high quality, safe and of high value; and

WHEREAS, the Institute of Medicine has endorsed the implementation of health information technology including electronic medical records and the use of electronic prescribing in order to increase the quality of health care delivery and to prevent medication errors; and

WHEREAS, the implementation of health information technology will support the Institute of Medicine's vision for transformed health care system that is safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient and equitable; and

WHEREAS, there are a growing number of physicians' offices, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies and other health care providers across the nation that have already taken steps to adopt electronic medical record systems; and

WHEREAS, through public-private partnerships, many states have begun to build the initial infrastructure for systems that will facilitate the secure electronic health information exchange across health care providers; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the US Conference of Mayors(USCM) hereby affirms the need to transition from a paper-based medical system to an electronic -records system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the US Conference of Mayors hereby endorses health care providers' ongoing effort to implement and utilize to maximum capability electronic health records for their patients, including all appropriate electronic health information exchange systems that will improve the quality, safety and value of health care delivery by facilitating the secure, confidential and appropriate flow of health care information between health care providers and consumer access toothier own health information; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the USCM hereby endorses efforts by non-providers to support the ongoing work to implement and utilize to maximum capability electronic health records, including all appropriate electronic health information exchange systems that will improve the quality, safety and value of health care delivery by facilitating the secure, confidential and appropriate flow of health care information between health care providers, and consumer access to their own health information; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the USCM hereby recognizes that health care consumers should expect that their health care providers will use electronic health records and information systems that:

• Protect the confidentiality of health care information in accordance with the providers' professional obligations to their patients and the provisions of state and federal laws;

• (2) Provide the consumer with access to their health care information;
• Provide appropriate security measures to protect electronic information against illicit access;

• Interface with statewide electronic health information exchanges that facilitates the sharing of health information for coordination and continuity of care;

• Improve health care providers' ability to apply the best available scientific evidence in the provision of health care services;

• Reduce waste and duplication of health care services; and (7)Improve the safety of health care by ensuring that electronic orders for laboratory tests, medication and other services recreated and transmitted electronically whenever possible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the USCM hereby supports the goal that all health care consumers will be served by providers that have adopted electronic health records systems by January 1, 2015.