HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2445

As Reported by House Committee On:

Health Care & Wellness

Title: An act relating to online access to health care resources via HEALWA.

Brief Description: Concerning online access to health care resources via HEALWA.

Sponsors: Representatives Macri, Graves, Robinson and Riccelli.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Health Care & Wellness: 1/16/18, 1/23/18 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 17 members: Representatives Cody, Chair; Macri, Vice Chair; Schmick, Ranking Minority Member; Graves, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Caldier, Clibborn, DeBolt, Harris, Jinkins, MacEwen, Maycumber, Riccelli, Robinson, Rodne, Slatter, Stonier and Tharinger.

Staff: Sydney Sullivan (786-7291) and Jim Morishima (786-7191).

Background:

Health Evidence Resource for Washington.

In 2007 the University of Washington Health Sciences Library created the Health Evidence Resource for Washington State (HEAL-WA) in response to a legislative mandate. The HEAL-WA is an online health information database. The online database contains evidence-based information providing health care professionals with resources and support when making patient care decisions. The HEAL-WA contains clinical resources, full-text medical journals, decision support tools, and evidence based reviews of procedures, drugs, and devices.

Professions authorized to access the HEAL-WA are:

• physicians;

• physician assistants;

• osteopathic physicians;

• osteopathic physicians' assistants;

• naturopaths;

• podiatrists;

• chiropractors;

• psychologists;

• registered nurses;

• licensed practical nurses;

• optometrists;

• mental health counselors;

• massage therapists;

• advanced social workers;

• independent clinical social workers;

• independent clinical social worker associates;

• midwives;

• licensed marriage and family therapists;

• marriage and family therapist associates;

• occupational therapists;

• occupational therapy assistants;

• dietitians;

• nutritionists;

• speech-language pathologists; and

• East Asian medicine practitioners.

The professionals who have access to the HEAL-WA are charged an additional licensing fee of up to $25. The additional fee is transferred to the University of Washington to fund the HEAL-WA.

Veterinarians and Veterinarian Technicians.

Veterinarians practice medicine, surgery, and dentistry on animals, which may include the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease, deformities, defects, wounds, or injuries of animals. Veterinarians may also administer any drug, medicine, treatment, method of practice, or perform any operation, manipulation, or apply any apparatus or appliance for cure, amelioration, correction, or reduction necessary for animal care. Veterinarian technicians are licensed technicians who assist in veterinary practice. Veterinarians and veterinarian technicians do not have access to the HEAL-WA.

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Summary of Bill:

Veterinarians and veterinarian technicians may access the HEAL-WA. Veterinarians and veterinarian technicians must be charged up to an additional $25 in professional licensing fees by the Department of Health for this access.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) To be able to participate and use the HEAL-WA, the Legislature has to authorize access by statute. The veterinary profession overwhelmingly supports paying the professional licensing fee for the HEAL-WA access. Additionally, it will be no hardship on the University of Washington to expand access of the HEAL-WA to the veterinary profession, since the HEAL-WA has many works already available. Thus, there will be only a modest impact on the HEAL-WA's collection, with the costs for those new resources being absorbed by the licensing fee.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Maci, prime sponsor; Greg Hanon, Washington State Veterinary Medical Association; and Christina Pryor, University of Washington.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.