Klobuchar Calls for Electronic Health Records at First Judiciary Committee Hearing

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Klobuchar Calls for Electronic Health Records at First Judiciary Committee Hearing

Says modernizing records will save millions, protect patient privacy and create jobs

Noting that electronic health records will be a critical component of health care reform, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar called for a greater commitment to ensuring patient privacy while seeking safeguards for vital medical research and analysis. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on protecting the privacy of Americans' health records was Klobuchar's first as a member of the committee. Klobuchar pressed witnesses on how best to develop a comprehensive system that will both gain the trust of patients and continue to allow needed medical studies.

"Information technology has transformed our country but the use of information technology in our health care system continues to lag far behind other industries," said Klobuchar. "The U.S. spends $2.3 trillion per year on health care - we must bring an end to the inefficiencies in our system to reduce waste, improve quality, and stimulate innovation."

Klobuchar noted a study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that only four percent of U.S. physicians were using "fully functional" electronic records systems, and that missing medical records occur in one of every seven primary care visits. The study showed that serious medical errors that come as a result of missing records are costly, time-consuming and preventable.

Witness John Houston, Vice President of Information Security and Privacy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, argued the merits of a comprehensive national system, saying that a patchwork state-by-state approach would leave the country with an unworkable structure.

Deven McGraw, Director of the Health Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, echoed Houston's comments, saying that clear federal guidelines must be part of any system in order to ensure workability.

Health information technology (Health IT) provisions are currently in the economic recovery package being considered by Congress. Early government estimates project that the health IT provision will provide approximately 212,000 much-need jobs.

"We can utilize health IT to transform our current system, create jobs and reign in costs, but a successful national health records system must also include effective privacy and security protections," said Klobuchar.

Saying that Minnesota is a leader in the medical community, Klobuchar asked witnesses about making sure that increased privacy provisions would not hinder the ability of hospitals and clinic to perform important clinical research.

Prior to entering the Senate, Klobuchar served for eight years as the chief prosecutor for Minnesota's largest county, serving Minneapolis and 45 suburban communities. She is the first Minnesotan to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee in nearly 75 years.

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