Dexter discusses plans to roll out Oregon-wide health information exchange – State of Reform

Representative Maxine Dexter (D-Portland) discussed deployment plans House Bill 4150 initiatives with Oregon health officials on Thursday.

Dexter joined members of the Health Information Technology Oversight Council (HITOC) in a meeting to discuss the bill. HB 4150 was adopted on March 3. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) HITOC will be required Convene one or more groups of stakeholders and experts to explore options to accelerate, support, and improve secure community information exchange statewide.

Dexter said the bill aims to provide all Oregonians with high-quality health care using a statewide electronic community information exchange platform.

“Integrated community information exchange is essential to being able to provide care and services to people who have multiple needs at once,” Dexter said.

The plan will help doctors share crucial information. For example, they will find it easier to use services such as interpretation assistance when working with patients in the middle of the night.

“We have to be able to understand the needs of the people in front of us,” Dexter said.

The trading system will also improve transparency and accountability, Dexter said.

“As Oregon continues to innovate in health and services, failure is not an option,” she said. “We need subject matter experts to work together towards a common vision. We adopted HB 4150 as the first step in realizing this vision. It is a fundamental part of my vision for an equitable and sustainable health care system. To succeed, we must break down barriers. »

Implementing the plan will create a need for officials to partner with private sector professionals, Dexter said.

“It is paramount that the state has the capacity to maintain the system,” she said. “We cannot depend on a single supplier.”

The bill requires HITOC to provide a draft report on health and human services to the legislature by September 15. A final report on HITOC’s plans for the Stakeholder and Expert Groups, along with recommendations for legislative changes to the system – if necessary – will be expected by January 31, 2023.

OHA Director of Health Information Technology Susan Otter said that when staff participated in some of the hearings on the bill, lawmakers questioned the role of the state in the plan.

“We expect those to be things that we want to make sure our report is clear on,” Otter said.