
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC299b-3]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 6A--PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
 
       SUBCHAPTER VII--AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY
 
                Part B--Health Care Improvement Research
 
Sec. 299b-3. Information systems for health care improvement


(a) In general

    In order to foster a range of innovative approaches to the 
management and communication of health information, the Agency shall 
conduct and support research, evaluations, and initiatives to advance--
        (1) the use of information systems for the study of health care 
    quality and outcomes, including the generation of both individual 
    provider and plan-level comparative performance data;
        (2) training for health care practitioners and researchers in 
    the use of information systems;
        (3) the creation of effective linkages between various sources 
    of health information, including the development of information 
    networks;
        (4) the delivery and coordination of evidence-based health care 
    services, including the use of real-time health care decision-
    support programs;
        (5) the utility and comparability of health information data and 
    medical vocabularies by addressing issues related to the content, 
    structure, definitions and coding of such information and data in 
    consultation with appropriate Federal, State and private entities;
        (6) the use of computer-based health records in all settings for 
    the development of personal health records for individual health 
    assessment and maintenance, and for monitoring public health and 
    outcomes of care within populations; and
        (7) the protection of individually identifiable information in 
    health services research and health care quality improvement.

(b) Demonstration

    The Agency shall support demonstrations into the use of new 
information tools aimed at improving shared decision-making between 
patients and their care-givers.

(c) Facilitating public access to information

    The Director shall work with appropriate public and private sector 
entities to facilitate public access to information regarding the 
quality of and consumer satisfaction with health care.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, Sec. 914, as added Pub. L. 106-129, 
Sec. 2(a), Dec. 6, 1999, 113 Stat. 1658.)


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 299b-3, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, 
Sec. 914, as added Pub. L. 101-239, title VI, Sec. 6103(a), Dec. 19, 
1989, 103 Stat. 2193; amended Pub. L. 102-410, Secs. 5(c)(3), 6(a), 7, 
Oct. 13, 1992, 106 Stat. 2097, 2099, 2100; Pub. L. 103-43, title XX, 
Sec. 2013(2), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 215, related to creation of an 
agenda and additional requirements, prior to the general amendment of 
this subchapter by Pub. L. 106-129.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1320b-12 of this title.
