On Tuesday, the New Mexico Senate in a 36-4 vote approved a bill that would allow hospitals and doctors in the state to create an electronic health record system, the AP/Alamogordo Daily News reports.
Bill Details
Under the bill, patients must give annual consent for their health records to be included in the EHR system. The bill also includes a provision that allows patients to request at any time a report of who has accessed their health records.
Participation in the EHR system also is optional for doctors.
The bill now moves to the New Mexico House for consideration.
Comments
Following the Senate's vote, Gov. Bill Richardson (D) in a statement said, "I have supported moving from paper to electronic records as a way to reduce errors and control costs." He added, "We must also protect the privacy of these records, and the bill accomplishes that."
New Mexico Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) said, "For those who do choose to participate, this greatly improves efficiency by avoiding duplicate tests and improves safety" (Shepard, AP/Alamogordo Daily News, 3/4).