N.Y. Public Health Law § 2804-a: State task force on clinical practice guidelines and medical technology assessment

* § 2804-a. State task force on clinical practice guidelines and

medical technology assessment.

1. A state task force is hereby created on clinical practice

guidelines and medical technology assessment which shall consist of

sixteen members. At least half of the membership shall be physicians

certified by specialty society boards officially recognized by the

American Board of Medical Specialties. Such physician board members

shall be selected from nominees recommended by specialty societies

recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Appointments

shall be made as follows: six shall be appointed by the governor of

which at least two shall be from specialty society nominees; four shall

be appointed by the temporary president of the senate of which at least

two shall be from specialty society nominees; four shall be appointed by

the speaker of the assembly of which at least two shall be from

specialty society nominees; and one each shall be appointed by the

minority leaders of the senate and assembly both of whom shall be

specialty society nominees. The commissioner shall also serve as an ex

officio member of the task force. The membership of the task force shall

appoint a chairperson who shall be selected by a majority vote of the

task force membership. All appointments shall be made by April first,

nineteen hundred ninety-four.

2. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have

the following meanings: (a) "clinical practice guidelines" shall mean

systematically developed statements to assist physician and patient

decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical

circumstances; and

(b) "medical technology" shall mean an instrument or unit of equipment

or technique for use as a health related treatment, testing or

diagnostic tool.

3. Task force members shall receive no compensation but shall be

reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in the performance of their

duties.

4. The task force may establish medical specialty advisory committees

to assist in carrying out its responsibilities pursuant to this section.

5. The task force shall solicit the cooperation and participation of

medical specialty organizations recognized by the American Board of

Medical Specialties with clinical practice guideline experience. The

state task force shall meet as necessary to fulfill its

responsibilities.

6. The task force, in consultation with the commissioner, shall

solicit specific research and/or project proposals from medical

specialty societies recognized by the American Board of Medical

Specialties to promote the development and application of clinical

practice guidelines and appropriate use of medical technology.

Speciality societies, at their option, may incorporate the involvement

of any other organization which they deem appropriate into their

proposal. The task force shall then recommend to the commissioner

specific research projects to be undertaken by such specialty society

candidates for grants and contracts pursuant to subdivision fifteen of

section two hundred six of this chapter. The task force shall not

recommend any projects for the purpose of developing clinical practice

guideline-based reimbursement methodologies or any other regulations.

7. The task force in cooperation with the medical specialty

organizations recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties

shall issue a report to the governor and legislature by May first,

nineteen hundred ninety-five which shall:

(i) describe the current status of practice guidelines, their uses and

their impact on health care delivery and outcomes;

(ii) identify appropriate uses of practice guidelines and medical

technology for purposes of improving health care quality and efficiency;

(iii) identify inappropriate uses or applications of practice guide-

lines and medical technology;

(iv) identify by what means the uses of practice guidelines should be

facilitated, if appropriate or warranted; and

(v) identify what role, if any, state government should have relative

to practice guidelines.

8. Staff of the department shall be made available to provide

technical assistance to the task force as necessary.

* NB Expired June 30, 1996