§ 23-77-1 - Legislative findings and purpose.
SECTION 23-77-1
§ 23-77-1 Legislative findings andpurpose. – Research shows that the application of information technology such aselectronic medical records, computer-based physician order entry and electronicdata interchange, has significant potential for improving healthcare qualityand safety and obtaining efficiencies in the healthcare delivery system. Thehealthcare system has been slower than other sectors of the economy to useadvances in information technology to achieve improvements in efficiencies andquality. Hospitals and healthcare providers face barriers in accessing thecapital needed to make investments in information technology. Government, whichpays for about one-third (1/3) of the nation's healthcare cost, has asubstantial interest in obtaining cost efficiencies by promoting investment inhealthcare information technology and infrastructure. There is a need forcoordination and collaboration among healthcare payers, providers, consumersand government in designing and implementing a statewide interoperablehealthcare information infrastructure that includes standards foradministrative data exchange, clinical support programs, quality performancemeasures and the maintenance of the security and confidentiality of individualpatient data. It is the intent of the legislature to promote the implementationof healthcare information technology and the development of an interoperablestatewide healthcare information infrastructure by creating a special fund tobe used to supplement any funds which would otherwise be available for thesepurposes.