H-0922.3
HOUSE BILL 1920
State of Washington | 66th Legislature | 2019 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Mosbrucker, Cody, Peterson, Caldier, Dye, and Tharinger
Read first time 02/06/19.Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.
AN ACT Relating to assessing patient anxiety; adding a new section to chapter
70.54 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that in 2017 one thousand two hundred ninety-two Washingtonians died by suicide. The legislature finds that many individuals who attempt suicide or die by suicide have an undiagnosed mental health condition. The legislature recognizes that a person's unassessed mental health or anxiety level can lead to severe medical emergencies or even death. The legislature further recognizes that health care professionals are in a unique position to notice depression, anxiety, and suicide warning signs in their patients and intervene early.
Therefore, the legislature intends to increase screening for anxiety to allow for possible early intervention.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter
70.54 RCW to read as follows:
Beginning January 1, 2020, a patient's anxiety level must be assessed by a health care provider upon the patient's intake at a hospital, urgent care center, or primary care clinic.
(1) Patients that have been admitted to the hospital must be assessed at regular intervals as necessary based on the patient's condition and at the patient's discharge from the hospital.
(2) The health care provider must use either the generalized anxiety disorder 2-item or generalized anxiety disorder 7-item assessment tool to assess the patient's anxiety.
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