BILL REQ. #:  S-1782.1 

Read first time 02/19/2007.   Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.

     AN ACT Relating to access to medical information for physicians; adding a new section to chapter 18.71 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 18.57 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.20 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 18.71 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that physicians licensed under this chapter require easy and timely access to medical journals and other related scientific and evidence-based information on a regular basis. The University of Washington library system has over one hundred medical journals indexed and current, online and in other forms, for all physicians with teaching appointments at the university. Other material critical to ensuring high quality care may be available in the future, including certified patient aids for use in shared decision making with patients contemplating treatment options. Washington physicians without these appointments do not currently have access to these journals and related materials.
     (2) Physicians licensed under this chapter shall pay a fee of twenty-five dollars in addition to their annual licensing fee to the department of health. That money shall be reserved and transferred to the University of Washington library system by the department to provide online and other access for all licensed physicians in the state to the medical journals and related material housed, online, written, or otherwise in the University of Washington library system.
     (3) The department of health shall provide funds solely from the fees from physicians under this section to the University of Washington for this purpose and shall issue to each licensed physician the requisite passwords and access information in the mailing of his or her annual license.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 18.57 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that physicians licensed under this chapter require easy and timely access to medical journals and other related scientific and evidence-based information on a regular basis. The University of Washington library system has over one hundred medical journals indexed and current, online and in other forms, for all physicians with teaching appointments at the university. Other material critical to ensuring high quality care may be available in the future, including certified patient aids for use in shared decision making with patients contemplating treatment options. Washington physicians without these appointments do not currently have access to these journals and related materials.
     (2) Physicians licensed under this chapter shall pay a fee of twenty-five dollars in addition to their annual licensing fee to the department. That money shall be reserved and transferred to the University of Washington library system by the department to provide online and other access for all licensed physicians in the state to the medical journals and related material housed, online, written, or otherwise in the University of Washington library system.
     (3) The department shall provide funds solely from the fees from physicians under this section to the University of Washington for this purpose and shall issue to each licensed physician the requisite passwords and access information in the mailing of his or her annual license.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28B.20 RCW to read as follows:
     The University of Washington shall cooperate with the department of health in the implementation of sections 1 and 2 of this act.