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Kupchick and state Sen. John McKinney, (R-Fairfield), who proposed the bill, have pushed for the bill for the last two sessions. They were contacted by a friend whose son’s pediatrician shared the paperwork challenges he and other doctors face with yearly health forms, according to a release.
Some doctors charge a fee to fill out multiple forms because it takes a lot of time for their administrative staff, representatives said.
“The proposal is meant to lessen the burden for parents who are forced to continually visit the doctor’s office to drop and pick up health forms for every activity their child participates in," said Kupchick. "Parents and guardians could receive signed copies of the universal form for submission to a variety of programs they choose for their children."
Parents drop off health forms for camps and daycare centers that require basic information on immunizations, health problems, allergies and other physical questions. But organizations have different formats for their health forms.
“This is practical legislation that will make life easier for parents, children and doctors without compromising anyone’s health or well being," McKinney said. "By making this process more efficient, we can reduce costs, free up time for medical staffs to devote to more important tasks, and help to eliminate mistakes.”
"My colleagues have been frustrated with the variety of different health forms required by schools, day care facilities, youth camps and sports organizations," said Dr. Thomas Homa, a pediatrician practicing in Fairfield.
"Each form requires different information-some are simple and some are complex. Our practice has spent countless hours that are wasted gathering specific information for different forms. This leads to less time for our support staff, nurses and doctors to do their jobs which ultimately means less time with our patients."
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