U.S. Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD, R-Southwest Louisiana, introduced the Patient-Controlled HealthIT Act (H.R. 6345) to allow patients to control their medical records.

"In the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, millions of healthcare records were destroyed, and healthcare costs are squeezing family budgets in Southwest Louisiana and around the country," Boustany said. "One way to lower the cost and improve quality is to adopt personal electronic records to help doctors and other healthcare providers limit duplication and errors, but we should go further to put the patient in control. The Patient-Controlled HealthIT Act gives the patient control over their electronic records enabling them to pass them from doctor to doctor while protecting their privacy."

Boustany, a former cardiothoracic surgeon, introduced the bill to spur investment in HealthIT to help reduce the cost and improve the quality of healthcare for all in Southwest Louisiana.

A wide body of evidence indicates the need to engage patients more fully in their own health and care. Both patients and doctors could benefit from electronic tools to facilitate better care management, particularly in the area of chronic disease. Today's tools, such as personal health records, are not used as widely as possible, in part because there is no easy way for patients to automatically download their health care data electronically, or share it with providers of their choosing.

The Patient-Controlled HealthIT Act would:

- Give patients the right to receive their personal medical information in electronic form from providers who maintain electronic records;

- Create financial incentives for health information exchanges to provide electronic clinical data to patients' personal health records;

- Provide incentives for physicians to utilize that data in the course of treating their patient;

- Help demonstrate how best to accomplish these goals, including examining the impact both financial incentives and availability of electronic data have on patients' health outcomes.

Gary Curtis, president and CEO of Louisiana Health Care Review, said it is well documented that electronic medical records are important tools that improve care, reduce medical errors and save money. He also used the example of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to illustrate the practical, everyday reason why electronic health records are important.

"When thousands of our citizens had to evacuate because of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many left without access to their health care records. This created difficulties as they sought care in other communities or tried to get their prescriptions filled. Electronic health records would have prevented this," said Curtis.

"That's why we have made it a priority to work with providers to assist them as they add this electronic capability to their practice. Doctors can do a better job providing care and their patients will have assurances their records are accessible when needed," he added.

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