AN ACT Relating to improving cardiac and stroke outcomes through data-driven continuous quality and system improvement; adding a new chapter to Title 70 RCW; and recodifying RCW 70.168.150.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature intends to support efforts to improve emergency cardiac and stroke care in Washington and reduce death and disability resulting from cardiac and stroke events. This includes developing an inclusive system of optimal cardiac and stroke care throughout the continuum. Inclusive systems require oversight of project concept, evidence-based aspects, coordination, and evaluation of performance. Accordingly, the legislature intends that the department of health has the responsibility for oversight and coordination of the statewide cardiac and stroke system of care.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The department of health shall coordinate the statewide cardiac and stroke system of care including developing care system standards, stroke and cardiac center categorization, data collection, and care system performance evaluation.

(1) Establish and coordinate a statewide cardiac and stroke database for heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, and stroke systems of care utilizing existing databases and platforms and coordinate with state and national organizations involved in cardiac and stroke quality improvement to avoid duplication and redundant data entry;

(4) Compile information and statistics on cardiac and stroke care using data from existing cardiac and stroke registries;

(6) Require all licensed prehospital emergency medical services agencies to report data on cardiac and stroke patients to the Washington emergency medical services information system; and

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department of health shall establish and implement a plan for achieving continuous quality improvement in the care provided under the statewide system for cardiac and stroke response and treatment. The department of health must develop and implement this systemwide performance improvement plan using the statewide cardiac and stroke database established in section 3 of this act and other data sources available to the department of health. The department of health shall:

(2) Establish a system performance oversight process using data from the database and implement a plan for continuous data quality improvement;

(4) Provide quarterly reports on cardiac and stroke system performance and quality of care measures to the emergency cardiac and stroke technical advisory committee;

(5) Provide recommendations to the emergency medical services and trauma steering committee and the legislature for the improvement of cardiac and stroke care and delivery in the state;

(6) Provide technical assistance to emergency medical services and trauma regions and hospitals, including technical assistance in areas such as critical access hospitals that are currently lacking in data submissions affiliated with any existing registry, where applicable;

(7) Provide aggregate cardiac and stroke data feedback to participating emergency medical services and trauma regions and hospitals;

(8) Provide quality improvement assistance to emergency medical services, hospitals, and emergency medical services and trauma regions to improve performance on care and system coordination;

(10) Identify and disseminate interventions to improve cardiac and stroke care in prehospital and hospital settings and in local and regional systems of care.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Within appropriated funds, the department of health shall assist critical access and rural hospitals in securing the necessary data platforms to meet the department's data collection requirements and support prehospital services, particularly in rural areas, in acquiring improved equipment and additional personnel training for the treatment of cardiac and stroke patients.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The department of health shall, within appropriated funds, conduct public education on the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke and the lifesaving benefits of calling 911 and seeking immediate treatment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. No later than September 1, 2022, the department of health shall create a report analyzing the data collected and make recommendations regarding whether on-site verification of hospitals adherence to cardiac and stroke standards of care is needed to improve all citizens' access to safe, timely, evidence-based care for stroke, acute coronary syndrome, and cardiac arrest.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Beginning June 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the department of health shall provide a summary report of the data collected pursuant to section 3 of this act and an analysis of the statewide progress toward improving quality of care and patient outcomes. All data must be reported in the aggregate form and shall be posted on the department of health's web site and presented to the governor, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Data elements related to the identification of individual patients', providers', and facilities' care outcomes shall be confidential, are not subject to disclosure under the public records act, chapter 42.56 RCW, and shall not be subject to discovery by subpoena or admissible as evidence.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. RCW 70.168.150 is recodified as a new section in the new chapter created in section 11 of this act.