Washington, D.C. Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today introduced legislation that will facilitate nationwide adoption of electronic health records, particularly among small, rural providers. The Health Information Technology Public Utility Act of 2009 will build upon the successful use of "open source" electronic health records by the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as the "open source exchange model," which was recently expanded among federal agencies through the Nationwide Health Information Network-Connect initiative.
"We need advancements in health information technology across the board to improve the quality of care Americans receive," said Senator Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care. "To make this happen, we need universal access to affordable and interoperable health information technology - from small, rural health clinics to large, urban hospitals."
Open source software refers to a computer program with unrestricted source code that does not limit the use or distribution by any organization or user.
Senator Rockefeller continued, "Open source software is a cost-effective, proven way to advance health information technology - particularly among small, rural providers. This legislation does not replace commercial software; instead, it complements the private industry in this field - by making health information technology a realistic option for all providers.

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