The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Tuesday passed the bipartisan Improving Health Information Technology Act with a vote of 22-0. 

The bill addresses electronic health record usability and seeks to reduce burdens tied to documentation. It also calls for transparent ratings on EHR usability and security, calls out information blocking and gives the Department of Health of Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General the authority to establish deterrents.

[Also: Senate panel to look into EHR usability]

The legislation, which moves to the full Senate, also promises to convene existing data-sharing networks to develop a voluntary model framework and common agreement for the secure exchange of health information across existing networks.

The bill also directs the Governmental Accountability Office to conduct a study of methods for securely matching patient records to the correct individual.

“Our goal is to make our country's electronic health record system something that helps patients rather than something that doctors and hospitals dread so much that patients are not helped,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, in a statement. Alexander and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, led the effort.

“Democrats and Republicans have been able to reach agreement on policies that will help empower patients and providers with more and better information to help drive treatment and improve health outcomes,” Murray added.

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