HB4531eng 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4531 Engrossed LRB093 19975 MKM 45719 b

AN ACT concerning public health.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 2310-343 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2310/2310-343 new)

Sec. 2310-343. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome; outreach and education.

(a) The General Assembly hereby recognizes that Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Type 1 and Type 2, is a debilitating progressively chronic neurological disorder that generally occurs at the site of a minor or major trauma injury, but may also occur without any apparent injury. RSDS is characterized by severe burning pain, pathological changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling, and extreme sensitivity to touch. The General Assembly further finds that RSDS is often misdiagnosed because the condition is either unknown or poorly understood. Because a delay in diagnosis or treatment for this syndrome can result in severe physical problems and disability, and because early recognition and prompt treatment of RSDS provide the greatest opportunity for recovery, the General Assembly hereby declares it to be in the best interest of the public to establish a program within the Department of Public Health to educate individuals and medical professionals about RSDS and to promote research to accurately identify, diagnose, and treat this disease.

(b) Within 180 days of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, the Department shall establish an RSDS public education and outreach program. The Department shall develop written materials and Internet resources concerning RSDS and shall make those materials and resources available through State and local departments of public health, and through hospitals, clinics, and other health care providers. The written materials and Internet resources shall include information about the following:

(1) the cause and nature of RSDS;

(2) risk factors for RSDS, including, but not limited to, lifestyle, heredity, and drug interactions;

(3) medical and surgical treatment options for RSDS, including experimental and established drug therapies, and the benefits and risks of those options;

(4) the availability of RSDS support services in the community; and

(5) factors or elements that might mitigate the effects of RSDS.

(c) The Department shall coordinate, promote, and offer professional education programs for health care providers and health-related community-based organizations concerning the following:

(1) the cause and nature of RSDS;

(2) research findings related to RSDS;

(3) risk factors for RSDS, including, but not limited to, lifestyle, heredity, and drug interactions;

(4) diagnostic procedures and appropriate indications for their use;

(5) medical and surgical treatment options, including experimental and established drug therapies, and the risks and benefits of those options; and

(6) the availability of RSDS support services in the community.

(d) The Director shall accept and expend any grants, awards, or other funds or appropriations made available for the purposes of the education and outreach program created by this Section.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.