AB 1621, as amended, Lowenthal. Emergency medical services: data and information system.
Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, governs local emergency medical service systems. The act establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority, which is responsible for the coordination and integration of all state agencies concerning emergency medical services. Existing law also creates the Commission on Emergency Medical Services, and requires the commission to perform various duties regarding the authority and emergency medical services.
Existing law requires the authority to develop planning and implementation guidelines for emergency medical services systems that address data collection and evaluation, among other things. Existing law requires the commission to review and approve regulations, standards, and guidelines developed by the authority.
This bill would require the authority to develop and adopt minimum standards for maintaining and implementing a State Emergency Medical Services Data and Information System (SEMSDIS), which would include, among other things, data and information relating to prehospital care and specialty care, for purposes of determining and monitoring the quality and effectiveness of the statewide emergency medical system.begin insert The bill would require the authority to develop guidelines and standards for local emergency medical services agencies and local prehospital emergency medical services providers’ electronic patient care record systems to ensure compatibility with SEMSDIS.end insert The bill would require emergency medical services providers and hospitals that receive emergency medical services patients to perform specified tasks concerning SEMSDIS. The bill would require the authority
to comply with its provisions on or beforebegin delete Januaryend deletebegin insert Julyend insert 1, 2016.begin insert The bill would require the authority to post proposed rules and to notify the public with regard to commenting on the proposed rules, as specified.end insert
The bill would also require local EMS agencies to submit specified information to the authority. By imposing new duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
begin insertThe bill would provide that all of the above provisions and any rules or regulations adopted pursuant to those provisions would only be implemented to the extent that funds are made available through an appropriation in the annual budget act.
end insertThe California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 1797.119 is added to the Health and
2Safety Code, to read:
(a) (1) begin deleteThe end deletebegin insertIn order to fulfill the authority’s
4responsibility to assess emergency medical services and their
5effectiveness as required by Section 1797.102, the end insertauthority shall
6develop a State Emergency Medical Services Data and Information
7System (SEMSDIS), and, after approval by the commission, adopt
8minimum standards for maintaining and implementing SEMSDIS.
9(2) SEMSDIS shall include, but not be limited to, data and
10information relating to prehospital care and specialty care.
P3 1(3) The purpose of SEMSDIS shall be to determine and monitor
2the quality and effectiveness of the statewide emergency medical
3system.
4(4) The authority shall comply with this section on or before
5July 1, 2016.
6(b) (1) The authority shall develop guidelines and standards
7for local emergency medical services agencies and local
8prehospital emergency medical services providers’ electronic
9patient care record systems to ensure compatibility with SEMSDIS,
10including, but not limited to, a common data dictionary, integration
11of first responder data and transport provider data, and patient
12outcome data, consistent with current national standards and
13privacy requirements in state and
federal law.
14(2) The authority shall consult with stakeholders in the
15development of standards and SEMSDIS, including air ambulance
16providers and other entities not included in the California
17Commission on Emergency Medical Services membership.
18(b) Emergency
end delete
19begin insert(c)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertPrehospital emergencyend insert medical services providers shall
do
20all of the following concerning SEMSDIS:
21(1) Implement the electronic collection of prehospital care
22reports using standard procedures, definitions, and interoperable
23coding as adopted by the authority in the minimum standards
24described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a)begin insert and paragraph (1)
25of subdivision (b)end insert. For purposes of this paragraph, “prehospital
26care reports” include, but are not limited to, documentation of the
27event, incident, or medical condition precipitating the need for
28emergency medical services, the treatment provided, and the
29patient’s medical history.
30(2) Transmit, at the scene of an emergency or during the
31transport of the patient to the destination hospital, patient health
32information, including, but not limited to, the patient’s approximate
33age, body type, and vital statistics, to the destination hospital.
34(3)
end delete
35begin insert(2)end insert Submit completed electronic patient care reports to the local
36EMS agency in a timely manner.
37(c) Hospitals receiving emergency medical services patients
38shall do both of the following concerning SEMSDIS:
39(1) Include local EMS agencies in health information exchange
40development with the objective of exchanging critical patient data
P4 1with emergency medical services providers through an electronic
2interface with the hospital’s electronic health records.
3(2) Provide patient disposition information to the local EMS
4agency for the purpose of quality improvement. For purposes of
5this paragraph, “patient disposition information” includes, but is
6not limited to, the diagnosis of the patient’s condition and any
7treatment provided.
8(d) Local EMS agencies shall submit patient information
9begin insert consistent with the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision
10(a) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (b),end insert to the authority in a timely
11manner, using national standards when available.
12(e) The authority, in order to exercise the powers and perform
13the duties conferred upon it by this chapter, and in accordance
14with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of
15Division 3 of the Government Code, shall adopt, amend, or repeal
16any rules, regulations, or standards as may be necessary.
17(f) The authority shall post any proposed rules promulgated
18under this section on its public Internet Web site no later than 90
19calendar days prior to the effective date of the proposed rule,
20which shall also include notification to the public regarding how
21members of the public may comment, including the date by which
22those comments must be received in order to be considered by the
23authority.
24(g) This section and any rules and regulations promulgated
25pursuant to this section shall only be implemented to the extent
26that funds are made available through an appropriation in the
27annual Budget Act.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
29this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
30local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
31pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
324 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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