Bills on health information technology stalled

Before Congress recessed for midterm elections, bills that would reform health information technology remained unaddressed. An attempt to create a compromise measure that would reconcile the House of Representatives-approved Health Information Technology Promotion Act and the Senate-approved Wired for Health Care Quality Act was left in limbo.

According to American Medical News (10/23/2006), the difficulties in creating a compromise measure rest in two major areas:

The delay has opened the door for privacy advocates to push for language in both bills that would include safeguards to ensure patient confidentiality and patients' ability to control access to their electronic medical records.