* 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
Last modified: February 3, 2019