IOWA: Informed consent matters when it comes to a statewide health database
Our Stand: At-A-Glance
- HF2623 – Electronic Health Records Database/Data Utility Bill, seeks to put ALL medical records into a third party electronic database for ease of accessing records at any doctor’s office, however it will also allow the data within it to be utilized.
- Currently the bill allows for patients to “opt-out” but it has no parameters regarding what is required for patients to be informed of their options.
- In other states who have implemented similar “opt-out” systems, the laws have been weak. For example a simple sign taped to a wall in a providers office was all that they were required to post to notify patients that they can opt-out.
- Email your House Representative before this goes to the full floor for a vote this week and ask them to vote for an amendment that will make the database an “OPT-IN” only, in order to ensure that patients will receive notification and information about the database prior to their private health data being included in it.
- If the amendment is not adopted then we recommend they vote no until this bill has better defined requirements for opting out.
- For more information on data sharing and health care, you can refer to our Battles Ahead document here, and Look for the battle: “AI + Health care.”
Email the Iowa House (AllRepresentatives@legis.iowa.gov) and your personal Iowa House Representative before this goes to the full floor for a vote this week.
Not sure who your house rep is? To find who they are simply click here.