AATP Interactive

New AMIA Site - GotEHR?

The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) launched its Web site for their new GotEHR? an initiative to promote the use of electronic health records for patient safety and quality today at www.got-ehr.org

The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) believes that widespread use of information technology in general, and electronic health records (EHRs) in particular, are critical to successful transformation of health care in the United States. Towards that end, AMIA and its partners have been exploring ways to expand understanding about, support for, and use of EHRs through the GotEHR? initiative.

GotEHR? is based on three basic premises. First, EHRs enable high quality, safe, and cost-effective health care services. Second, EHRs can strengthen the relationship between patients and clinicians. And third, due to their role in dealing with incentives and barriers policy makers are a key ingredient to success. GotEHR? has identified a preliminary set of issues that must be addressed within the three key audiences of patients, community-based clinicians, and policy makers for widespread adoption of EHRs.

GotEHR? developed out of two workshops that AMIA and its College of Informatics hosted at the Institute of Medicine in 2004, with support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and participation from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT). Stakeholders, including AHRQ, AARP, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Foundation for Accountability; ONCHIT, and the Ad Council, gathered to identify a strategy to expand knowledge and acceptance for increasing the use of EHRs. Recent additions to the participating organizations include the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), through its MyPHR effort and the HIMSS Electronic Health Records Vendors Association (HIMSS-EHRVA)

As this initiative develops the Web site will provide more educational materials and references for consumers, practitioners and law makers about the use of electronic health record technology and related policy matters.

Complete information on the GotEHR? initiative is available at: http://www.got-ehr.org

Docs Consult Reference Guides on Mobile Devices

Ninety-six percent of physicians who use mobile devices consult an electronic database to check for drug interactions and information such as payer formularies, according to a report by Spyglass Consulting Group, Modern Physician reports.

According to the report, 73% of physicians surveyed use electronic reference manuals, and 64% use a medical calculator. Only 17% of respondents said they use a charge capture system, and 13% use an electronic prescribing device.

The report also found that 77% of outpatient physicians surveyed said Tablet PCs were appropriate for daily clinical use. In contrast, 51% of inpatient physicians said Tablet PCs were not fit for such use, Modern Physician reports. The survey also found that 20% of respondents use wireless PCs.

Results are based on a survey of 102 physicians between September and November 2004 (Conn, Modern Physician, 2/4).

Source: iHealthBeat