Committee advances bill to delay sensitive cancer‑result portal releases by three business days

Senator Frizzell told the committee that a night‑time notification from a patient portal during her own cancer workup prompted the bill. She said the proposal would allow ordering clinicians a brief window to review certain cancer‑related test results and contact patients before those results appear automatically in patient portals.

"It ensures that doctors have 72 hours to communicate test results," Frizzell said, describing the measure as aimed at avoiding situations where patients log into a portal late at night, see a report ‘‘consistent with malignancy,’’ and are left without clinician support.

Medical witnesses urged support. Dr. Sean Posowski, speaking for the Colorado Medical Society, said immediate release of raw pathology or radiology reports can cause substantial patient distress and that a three‑business‑day window would permit clinicians to review results and reach out first. "That conversation matters enormously," he said.

Representatives of hospitals and some rural providers supported the bill’s purpose but urged changes to limit implementation burdens. Audrey Rich Lloyd, director of programs at San Luis Valley Health speaking for the Colorado Hospital Association, said her system already delays pathology results in some cases but warned that a mandatory hold could create clinical and operational risks in rural settings where electronic medical record (EMR) systems vary and staff resources are limited.

Oncology clinicians testified the window would reduce misinterpretation of scans and allow physicians to compare new images with prior studies before a patient reads a concerning result. Colorado Oncology Society representatives and practicing specialists said a 72‑hour review period would allow for a more informed, humane conversation.

Committee sponsors and stakeholders negotiated an amendment to align the implementation approach with other states and to address hospital IT and workflow concerns; the committee adopted the amendment. Senator Weissman recorded a dissenting view on principle, arguing that patients should be able to access their information immediately. On a roll call the committee voted 6–1 to advance Senate Bill 162 as amended to the Committee of the Whole.

The bill will next be considered by the Committee of the Whole.