Relative to emergency medical and trauma services data sharing to the purposes of analysis.
Impact
The primary impact of SB337 on state laws involves modifications to RSA 21-P, facilitating better data analytics in emergency medical services. This bill not only enables the sharing of crucial data for health-related research and assessments but also creates a privacy committee responsible for reviewing and approving data sharing requests. By establishing these protocols, the bill aims to strengthen the emergency medical response system's ability to adapt and improve based on systematic evaluations, which is crucial for public safety and effective healthcare delivery.
Summary
Senate Bill 337-FN aims to enhance the ability of emergency medical and trauma services in New Hampshire to share data for research and analysis purposes, while ensuring the confidentiality of patient information is preserved. The bill amends existing statutes to broaden the permissible uses of emergency data, allowing it to be shared with various state and federal entities, and third-party researchers under strict confidentiality agreements. This sharing is intended to facilitate evaluations and modifications to the emergency medical system based on identified gaps in service delivery.
Contention
Notable points of contention surrounding SB337 revolve around the delicate balance between data sharing for analysis and protecting patient privacy. While proponents argue that the bill will enhance service delivery by enabling better data insights, some critics express concern that even with safeguards, there is a risk of breaching patient confidentiality. The establishment of a privacy committee aims to address these concerns by providing oversight, but the efficacy of this oversight and the potential for misuse of data remain areas of debate among stakeholders.
In emergency medical services system, further providing for declaration of policy, for definitions, for emergency medical services system programs and for duties of department; establishing the State EMS Advisory Board; and further providing for emergency medical services patient care reports, for funding, for notification of trauma center closure, for State Advisory Board, for regional emergency medical services councils, for comprehensive plan, for contracts and grants and for scholarships for recruitment, training and retention.