Sponsored by:
Senator RICHARD J. CODEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
Senator RONALD L. RICE
District 28 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires hospital patient's medical record to include notation if patient is at increased risk of confusion, agitation, behavioral problems, and wandering due to dementia related disorder.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning medical records of hospital patients and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) shall require a health care professional or appropriate staff member to include a notation in a patient's medical record indicating that the patient has an increased risk of confusion, agitation, behavioral problems, and wandering due to a dementia related disorder, if such notation is requested by the patient’s caregiver. The notation may be included in the patient’s medical record at the time the patient is admitted to the hospital or to the hospital emergency department or when the patient is examined by a health care professional, and shall be prominently displayed in the medical record.
b. As used in this section:
“Caregiver” means a relative, spouse, partner, friend, or neighbor who has a significant relationship to the patient;
“Dementia” means a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes due to organic brain disease, for which no curative treatment is available, and marked by memory disorders, changes in personality, deterioration in personal care, impaired reasoning ability, and disorientation; and
"Health care professional" means a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse, who is acting within the scope of the professional's practice and is licensed or whose professional practice is otherwise regulated pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt any rules and regulations as the commissioner deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Health may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires, under certain circumstances, that a notation be prominently displayed in a patient’s medical record indicating that the patient is at increased risk of confusion, agitation, behavioral problems, and wandering due to a dementia related disorder. The notation is to be made in the patient’s medical record at the time the patient is admitted to the hospital or to the hospital emergency department or the patient is examined by a health care professional, and may not be made except at the request of the patient’s caregiver. The amended bill defines “caregiver” to mean a relative, spouse, partner, friend, or neighbor who has a significant relationship with the patient. “Dementia” is defined to mean a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes due to organic brain disease, for which no curative treatment is available, and marked by memory disorders, changes in personality, deterioration in personal care, impaired reasoning ability, and disorientation. “Health care professional” is defined to mean a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse.