,i #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #gjfd ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #ad1 #bjbf,mr4 ,hernndez 7for himself and ,mr4 ,lieu7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services to conduct a study on strategies for the application of artificial intelligence technologies that can be used in the health care industry to improve administrative and clerical work and preserve the privacy and security of patient data1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,ai in ,health ,care ,efficiency and ,study ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,administrative and clerical work contribute significantly to health care costs and health care provider burnout4 7#b7 ,artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to streamline clerical work and record keeping1 allowing health care providers to spend more time with patients4 7#c7 ,protection of patient privacy and compliance with regulations promulgated pursuant to section #bfd of the ,health ,insurance ,portability and ,accountability ,act of #aiif 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;d-#b note7 are essential in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence tools in health care4 #c4 ,study on artificial intelligence in the health care industry 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ah months after the date of the enactment of this section1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7in this ,act referred to as the ,secretary7 shall conduct a study on strategies for the application of artificial intelligence technologies that can be used across the health care industry1 including health care providers and health plans as defined under section #bfb of the ,health ,insurance ,portability and ,accountability ,act of #aiif 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;d7 and covered entities and business associates as defined under section #afj4ajc of title #de1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 to improve administrative and clerical processes and protect the privacy and security of patient data in programs and activities within the jurisdiction of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services4 7b7 ,contents ,in conducting the study under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall evaluate existing strategies and identify additional strategies to apply artificial intelligence technologies to-- 7#a7 reduce administrative burden and improve efficiency in administrative and clerical tasks1 including scheduling1 claims processing1 documentation1 prior authorization workflows1 and other operational tasks performed by health care providers and health plans2 7#b7 improve the accuracy1 timeliness1 and interoperability of patient record-keeping1 including electronic health record documentation2 7#c7 ensure the privacy1 security1 and integrity of patient data1 including compliance with regulations promulgated pursuant to section #bfd of the ,health ,insurance ,portability and ,accountability ,act of #aiif 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;d-#b note7 and any applicable standards established by the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology2 and 7#d7 evaluate how artificial intelligence technologies can be used to detect1 prevent1 and mitigate cybersecurity attacks on health care providers1 including-- 7,a7 ransomware incidents2 7,b7 data breaches2 and 7,c7 other threats experienced by healthcare providers4 7c7 ,consultation ,in carrying out the study required under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall seek to consult with-- 7#a7 the ,director of the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology2 7#b7 the ,director of the ,national ,institutes of ,health2 7#c7 the ,director of the ,agency for ,healthcare ,research and ,quality2 7#d7 the ,assistant ,secretary for ,technology ,policy_/,office of the ,national ,coordinator for ,health ,information ,technology for the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7#e7 the ,director of the ,office for ,civil ,rights for the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7#f7 academic institutions2 7#g7 artificial intelligence developers2 7#h7 civil rights experts2 7#i7 health care providers2 7#aj7 hospital associations2 7#aa7 information technology vendors that serve the health care industry2 7#ab7 nonprofit research institutions2 and 7#ac7 patient privacy experts4 7d7 ,report ,not later than #f months after the ,secretary completes the study required under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate a report on the study conducted under subsection 7a7 that contains-- 7#a7 the findings and conclusions of the study1 including identified risks1 opportunities1 and implementation challenges2 7#b7 an assessment of existing artificial intelligence tools currently in use for administrative or clerical functions in the health care industry1 including their effectiveness1 limitations1 and implications for provider burden2 7#c7 recommendations for future research and pilot programs led or supported by the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services relating to the use of artificial intelligence in administrative and clerical functions within the health care industry2 and 7#d7 policy options for ,congress and the ,secretary to support the development1 testing1 implementation1 and oversight of artificial intelligence tools that enhance administrative efficiency in health care while ensuring strong protections for patient privacy and data security4