105
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                     HOUSE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE
    ADVISABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A DATA BANK WITH
    PROVIDER INFORMATION FOR ACCESS BY HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS.


 1        WHEREAS, a patient's selection of a health care provider
 2   is an important decision from the standpoint of a health
 3   consumer's perspective; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, selection of a health care provider could affect
 6   the right diagnosis or proper treatment of an illness or
 7   disease, and could literally mean a life or death decision for
 8   the patient; and 
 9   
10        WHEREAS, there is no easily accessible source in Hawaii
11   for information about health care providers that would give a
12   patient important information and some insight about a health
13   care provider, whom the patient may consider selecting for the
14   patient or the patient's family; and
15   
16        WHEREAS, according to a comprehensive survey conducted by
17   OmniTrak Group, Inc., a local polling company, Hawaii residents
18   strongly favor having access to more information about their
19   health care providers, other than through the usual provider
20   referrals, word-of-mouth, or yellow page listings; and
21   
22        WHEREAS, an Omnitrak survey of health consumers found that
23   the following percentages want the following information on
24   health care providers:
25   
26        (1)  83 per cent about board certification in a specialty;
27   
28        (2)  81 per cent about medical education;
29   
30        (3)  79 per cent about criminal convictions;
31   
32        (4)  78 per cent about licensure restrictions in Hawaii or
33             in other states;
34   
35        (5)  73 per cent about physician scores on quality care
36             measurements;

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1        (6)  72 per cent about satisfaction ratings by other
 2             patients; and
 3   
 4        (7)  72 per cent about successful lawsuits by patients;
 5   
 6   and
 7   
 8        WHEREAS, the Pew Health Professions Commission recommends
 9   that professional licensing boards provide public information
10   relevant to a licensee upon request, in a clear and
11   comprehensive manner; and
12   
13        WHEREAS, a health care provider's right to privacy must be
14   balanced against a consumer's right to know about that
15   provider; and
16   
17        WHEREAS, Act 178, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 1998,
18   required the Insurance Commissioner to convene a Task Force
19   (Task Force) comprising various members from the public and
20   private sectors to review various laws that provide protection
21   of patient's rights and responsibilities with regard to health
22   care; now, therefore,
23   
24        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
25   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
26   of 1999, the Senate concurring, that the Task Force created by
27   Act 178, SLH 1998, is requested to study the advisability and
28   feasibility of creating a data bank with provider information
29   for access by health care consumers; and
30   
31        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to
32   report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no
33   later than twenty days before the commencement of the Regular
34   Session of 2000, which shall include the following:
35   
36        (1)  Assessment of the demand for health care provider
37             information;
38   
39        (2)  Current information about health care providers that
40             is available from state agencies;
41   
42        (3)  Issues relating to protecting the privacy rights of
43             health care providers;
44   
45        (4)  Designation of the appropriate state agency, or
46             creation of a new agency, to disseminate information
47             about health care providers;

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1        (5)  Assessment of the costs of providing public
 2             information about health care providers; and
 3   
 4        (6)  Recommendations for legislative enactments or for
 5             administrative rule changes, or both;
 6   
 7   and
 8   
 9        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
10   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Insurance
11   Commissioner, Director of Health, Administrator of the
12   Disabilities Compensation Division of the Department of Labor
13   and Industrial Relations, Hawaii Medical Service Association,
14   Kaiser Permanente, American Association of Retired Persons,
15   Hawaii Coalition for Health, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii,
16   Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Nurses' Association, and
17   Healthcare Association of Hawaii.
18