GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001
S	1
SENATE BILL 1021
     

 
Short Title:	Hospitals Report ER Visits/Respir. Complaint.	()	
Sponsors:	Senators Robinson and Carter.	
Referred to:	Health Care.	
April 5, 2001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE HOSPITALS TO PROVIDE DATA ON THE NUMBER AND NATURE OF EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS FOR SYMPTOMS OF RESPIRATORY DISTRESS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Part A of Article 5 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 131E-79.2. Reporting of incidences of respiratory distress.
Any hospital licensed under this Chapter that provides emergency room services shall collect and maintain data on daily emergency room visits of individuals seeking health services for a respiratory condition. Data collected and maintained shall include the following:
(1)	The date and approximate time of day of the emergency room visit; 
(2)	A brief description of the respiratory condition for which the individual is seeking treatment, and the date and approximate time of onset of the condition;
(3)	Whether the individual reports having a chronic respiratory condition;
(4)	Whether the individual's medical records available to the facility at the time of the emergency room visit indicate the existence of a chronic respiratory condition;
(5)	The age of the individual reporting the respiratory condition;
(6)	A brief description of whether:
a.	The individual was admitted to the hospital for treatment or observation of the respiratory condition;
b.	The individual was treated in the emergency room for the respiratory condition, and, if treatment was provided, a brief description of the treatment.
c.	The individual sought treatment for or was treated for the same or similar symptoms or condition within the last 12 months.
(7)	Any other nonidentifying data that the Commission for Health Services determines is necessary to carry out its duties under this section and G.S. 130A-375.
The hospital shall report the data collected for the immediately preceding 90-day period to the State Center for Health Statistics. Data shall be reported in aggregate form and shall not identify individuals who are the subject of the data. 
SECTION 2.  Article 15 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 130A-375. Analysis of data submitted by hospitals on respiratory ailments or distress.
(a)	The State Center for Health Statistics shall receive and analyze data reported from hospitals pursuant to G.S. 131E-79.2 to determine whether correlations exist between environmental conditions and respiratory ailments. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall provide the State Center for Health Statistics with air quality or other data that will assist the Center in its analysis of the data reported by hospitals under G.S. 131E-79.2.
(b)	The State Center for Health Statistics shall report its findings annually to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Governor, and the Joint Legislative Health Care Oversight Committee. The report may include recommendations to the Committee for action by the General Assembly to address public health problems identified from its analysis under this section.
(c)	The Commission for Health Services may adopt rules pertaining to the reporting, collection, and analysis of data required under this section and G.S. 131E-79.2."
SECTION 3.  The Commission for Health Services may adopt temporary rules in accordance with Chapter 150B of the General Statutes to implement this act.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2001.