AMA Health IT to support the doctor-patient relationship

In the wake of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more practices are considering implementing electronic health or medical records, e-prescribing, new practice management systems and other forms of health information technology (health IT).

This winter, the American Medical Association (AMA) and TransforMED, a subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians that provides consultation to physicians and practices interested in transforming their practice, are hosting a series of weekly webinars to provide practices with a vision of how the practice of medicine is being transformed through health IT—and the tools necessary for successful implementation.

Hear from experts already working to transform physician practices through health IT
Learn the basics of health IT system implementation
Prepare your patients and practice for changes associated with health IT
Discover tips for tackling major milestones at each stage in the process.
Webinar topics include:

Meaningful use of technology to support patient-centered care
1:00 p.m. EST, January 14, 2010

Learn about the current state of health IT and what technologies are available today to support patient-centered care and practice efficiency.

Presenters:
Terry McGeeney, MD, CEO, TransforMED
Amanda Ervin, director, Health IT, AMA

Register for the event.

Preparing your practice for health IT
1:00 p.m. EST, January 21, 2010

Learn how to engage staff and promote teamwork, leadership and communication within your practice throughout the implementation process. Employing fundamental strategies will help your practice manage change, as well as improve workflow efficiencies and handle typical challenges associated with successful health IT implementation.

Presenters:
Steve Waldren, MD, director, Health IT, American Academy of Family Physicians
Ana Jensen, practice enhancement facilitator, TransforMED

Register for the event.

Selecting the appropriate technology for your practice and developing implementation strategies
1:00 p.m. EST, January 28, 2010

Learn how to identify your practice’s needs and requirements, in addition to various strategies for introducing and implementing health IT, and staging implementation. The importance of integration between technologies will also be discussed.

Presenters:
Bruce Kleaveland, health IT consultant
Dave Kibbe, health IT specialist/consultant, American Academy of Family Physicians

Register for the event.

Engaging patients in using technology to manage their personal health care
1:00 p.m. EST, February 4, 2010

Recent studies show quality improvement and cost savings as a result of empowering patients to use technology to manage their care. Learn how technology enables remote monitoring, patient self-management and reporting, teleconsultation and electronic visits, which can help your practice efficiently manage patients.

Presenters:
Elaine Skoch, practice enhancement facilitator, TransforMED
Todd B. Taylor, MD, FACEP, physician executive, Health Solutions Group, Microsoft

Register for the event.