Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319o - Department of Social Services
Section 17b-59a. (Formerly Sec. 4-60i). - Development of uniform information and technology standards. Health information technology plan. Electronic data standards. State-wide Health Information Exchange. Report.

(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Electronic health information system” means an information processing system, involving both computer hardware and software that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing and use of health care information, data and knowledge for communication and decision making, and includes: (A) An electronic health record that provides access in real time to a patient's complete medical record; (B) a personal health record through which an individual, and anyone authorized by such individual, can maintain and manage such individual's health information; (C) computerized order entry technology that permits a health care provider to order diagnostic and treatment services, including prescription drugs electronically; (D) electronic alerts and reminders to health care providers to improve compliance with best practices, promote regular screenings and other preventive practices, and facilitate diagnoses and treatments; (E) error notification procedures that generate a warning if an order is entered that is likely to lead to a significant adverse outcome for a patient; and (F) tools to allow for the collection, analysis and reporting of data on adverse events, near misses, the quality and efficiency of care, patient satisfaction and other healthcare-related performance measures.
(2) “Interoperability” means the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged and includes: (A) The capacity to physically connect to a network for the purpose of exchanging data with other users; and (B) the capacity of a connected user to access, transmit, receive and exchange usable information with other users.
(3) “Standard electronic format” means a format using open electronic standards that: (A) Enable health information technology to be used for the collection of clinically specific data; (B) promote the interoperability of health care information across health care settings, including reporting to local, state and federal agencies; and (C) facilitate clinical decision support.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, established under section 19a-754a, shall (1) develop, throughout the Departments of Developmental Services, Public Health, Correction, Children and Families, Veterans Affairs and Mental Health and Addiction Services, uniform management information, uniform statistical information, uniform terminology for similar facilities, and uniform electronic health information technology standards, (2) plan for increased participation of the private sector in the delivery of human services, (3) provide direction and coordination to federally funded programs in the human services agencies and recommend uniform system improvements and reallocation of physical resources and designation of a single responsibility across human services agencies lines to facilitate shared services and eliminate duplication.
(c) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services and the State Health Information Technology Advisory Council, established pursuant to section 17b-59f, implement and periodically revise the state-wide health information technology plan established pursuant to this section and shall establish electronic data standards to facilitate the development of integrated electronic health information systems for use by health care providers and institutions that receive state funding. Such electronic data standards shall: (1) Include provisions relating to security, privacy, data content, structures and format, vocabulary and transmission protocols; (2) limit the use and dissemination of an individual's Social Security number and require the encryption of any Social Security number provided by an individual; (3) require privacy standards no less stringent than the “Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information” established under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, P.L. 104-191, as amended from time to time, and contained in 45 CFR 160, 164; (4) require that individually identifiable health information be secure and that access to such information be traceable by an electronic audit trail; (5) be compatible with any national data standards in order to allow for interstate interoperability; (6) permit the collection of health information in a standard electronic format; and (7) be compatible with the requirements for an electronic health information system.
(d) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall, within existing resources and in consultation with the State Health Information Technology Advisory Council: (1) Oversee the development and implementation of the State-wide Health Information Exchange in conformance with section 17b-59d; (2) coordinate the state's health information technology and health information exchange efforts to ensure consistent and collaborative cross-agency planning and implementation; and (3) serve as the state liaison to, and work collaboratively with, the State-wide Health Information Exchange established pursuant to section 17b-59d to ensure consistency between the state-wide health information technology plan and the State-wide Health Information Exchange and to support the state's health information technology and exchange goals.
(e) The state-wide health information technology plan, implemented and periodically revised pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, shall enhance interoperability to support optimal health outcomes and include, but not be limited to (1) general standards and protocols for health information exchange, and (2) national data standards to support secure data exchange data standards to facilitate the development of a state-wide, integrated electronic health information system for use by health care providers and institutions that are licensed by the state. Such electronic data standards shall (A) include provisions relating to security, privacy, data content, structures and format, vocabulary and transmission protocols, (B) be compatible with any national data standards in order to allow for interstate interoperability, (C) permit the collection of health information in a standard electronic format, and (D) be compatible with the requirements for an electronic health information system.
(f) Not later than February 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, in consultation with the State Health Information Technology Advisory Council, shall report in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and public health concerning: (1) The development and implementation of the state-wide health information technology plan and data standards, established and implemented by the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy pursuant to this section; (2) the establishment of the State-wide Health Information Exchange; and (3) recommendations for policy, regulatory and legislative changes and other initiatives to promote the state's health information technology and exchange goals.
(P.A. 73-155, S. 3, 10; P.A. 75-638, S. 17, 23; P.A. 76-434, S. 8, 12; P.A. 77-511, S. 3; 77-614, S. 323, 521, 526, 587, 609, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 119, 136; P.A. 86-279, S. 2; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-262, S. 29, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 11, 12, 21, 58; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a); P.A. 14-217, S. 173; P.A. 15-146, S. 23; P.A. 16-77, S. 5; 16-167, S. 23; P.A. 18-91, S. 7; P.A. 21-148, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 75-638 changed office of mental retardation to department of mental retardation; P.A. 76-434 gave council power to recommend system improvements, reallocation of physical resources and single responsibility for human services agencies; P.A. 77-511 and P.A. 77-614 repealed section but P.A. 78-303 deleted provision calling for section's repeal and changes called for in P.A. 77-614 were enacted, i.e. department of health became department of health services, department of social services became department of human resources, commissioner of human resources replaced council and references to vocational rehabilitation division of the state department of education and to department of community affairs were deleted, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 86-279 deleted requirement that commissioner of human resources coordinate planning functions and resource utilization programs of certain agencies; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-262 replaced commissioner of human resources with commissioner of social services and removed reference to department on aging, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; (Revisor's note: In 1995 the Revisors substituted editorially the numeric indicators (1), (2) and (3) for the alphabetic indicators (a), (b) and (c) for consistency with statutory usage); P.A. 95-257 replaced Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Department of Public Health and replaced Department of Mental Health with Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 “Department of Mental Retardation” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Developmental Services”, effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 14-217 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), amended redesignated Subsec. (a)(1) by adding “uniform electronic health information technology standards” and added Subsec. (b) re health information technology plan and electronic data standards, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-146 added new Subsec. (a) re definitions, redesignated existing Subsec. (a) re requirements of Commissioner of Social Services as new Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding reference to Department of Veterans' Affairs, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and amended same by replacing reference to Departments of Public Health and Mental Health and Addiction Services with reference to Health Information Technology Advisory Council, added Subsec. (d) re requirements of Commissioner of Social Services, added Subsec. (e) re state-wide health information technology plan, added Subsec. (f) re annual report and made conforming changes, effective July 1, 2015; Sec. 4-60i transferred to Sec. 17b-59a in 2016; P.A. 16-77 amended Subsec. (b) by adding “in consultation with the Health Information Technology Officer,”, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing reference to Commissioner of Social Services with reference to Health Information Technology Officer and adding provision re consultation with Commissioner of Social Services, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “Commissioner of Social Services” with “Health Information Technology Officer”, and amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “February 1, 2016” with “February 1, 2017” and replacing “Commissioner of Social Services” with “Health Information Technology Officer”, effective June 2, 2016; P.A. 16-167 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by replacing “Veterans' Affairs” with “Veterans Affairs”, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Health Information Technology Officer” with reference to executive director of Office of Health Strategy and adding reference to facilitating shared services, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing reference to Health Information Technology Officer with “executive director of the Office of Health Strategy” and making a technical change, and amended Subsecs. (d) and (f) by replacing “Health Information Technology Officer” with “executive director of the Office of Health Strategy”, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 21-148 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to delete requirement commissioner develop uniform regulations for the licensing of human services facilities, effective July 1, 2021.

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