AMA-IEEE Medical Technology Conference

Here's a note I got from the AMA about their upcoming medicine & technology conference:

The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) have joined together for the second year to offer a conference series that addresses important topics linking biomedical engineering and the practice of medicine.

With a focus on health information technology (health IT)—a discipline at the intersection of information and computer science, engineering and healthcare—the conference will examine resources, devices and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, display, and use of information in health and biomedicine.

We invite healthcare providers, engineers, innovators, industrial leaders, government agencies and policy makers to:

AMA-IEEE Medical Technology Conference: Health IT/Delivering on the Promise of Cost Effective Quality Healthcare in Boston, MA, on Oct. 16–18, 2011, at the Park Plaza Hotel and Towers.

ePrescribing final rule, controlled substances update

Register for this complimentary AMA health IT webinar titled, "ePrescribing final rule, controlled substances update."

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule on the 2012 Medicare ePrescribing Incentive Program, released Aug. 31, contains various changes of which physicians should be aware.

Register for the Sept. 14 complimentary webinar and learn about:

• exemption categories
• attestation
• incentives
• penalties
• electronically prescribing controlled substances

Date: Wed, Sep 14, 2011
Time: 01:00 PM EDT
Duration: 1 hour
Host(s): American Medical Association

Register here.

The AMA wants this YouTube video to go viral. Will you help?

The American Medical Association (AMA) wants to communicate to Congress that now is the time to repeal Medicare's flawed SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) formula. They're hoping to get this YouTube video to go viral. Will you help?



This video is sponsored by the following organizations:

American Medical Association
American Academy of Dermatology Association
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American College of Cardiology
American College of Physicians
American College of Surgeons
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Medical Group Management Association

AMAGINE physician portal

Amagine, Inc., a subsidiary of the American Medical Association (AMA), launched the AMAGINE™ physician portal in 2010 to provide physicians with a comprehensive health information technology tool designed to help physicians stay up-to-date with changing professional needs.

The AMAGINE physician portal offers a single, secure sign-on for multiple products and services which help physicians and their staff improve patient care, reduce administrative burdens and improve practice efficiency.

The AMA and Amagine, Inc. are dedicated to helping physicians implement health IT solutions. These solutions help facilitate access to meaningful use and other incentives yet can also be easily integrated into a physician's workflow. The AMAGINE portal is especially suited to small and medium-sized practices that may not have easy access to health IT resources.

Learn more here.

Are you prepared for the 2011 Medicare Participation Decision?

Physicians will have until Dec. 31, 2010, to modify their status with the Medicare program, and will want to carefully weigh their options. The American Medical Association (AMA) is once again hosting a live webinar on Medicare participation options for 2011. Join AMA President Cecil B. Wilson in this informative webinar as he walks physicians through their Medicare participation options to guide them through their decision in advance of the Dec. 31 deadline. In wake of looming Medicare payment cuts, physicians face a tough decision when it comes to participation in the Medicare program in 2011.

The webinar will cover:

* Advantages and disadvantages of each participation option: participation in Medicare, nonparticipation in Medicare, or opting out of Medicare and privately contracting with patients.
* Examples of how payments are calculated under each option
* New regulations on 2011 Medicare physician payment policy changes
* AMA resources that help physicians gauge which Medicare option is right for their practice

Date: Thu, Dec 2, 2010
Time: 06:30 PM EST
Duration: 1 hour

Click here to learn more.

AMA webinar on Health IT: Moving your practice forward

The AMA is releasing a series of webinars on health information technology. Here's information about webinar #1: 

Health IT: Moving your practice forward

WEBINAR #1: Preparing the small practice for meaningful use
Planning to qualify for EHR incentives? Or, just wondering how to select, implement and use EHR technology while running an efficient practice? The AMA’s 60-minute live webinar taking place on November 4 will arm you with best practices and strategies—used in real practices—to help guide Health IT decisions in your practice.

Join the AMA for its first in a two-part series of webinars designed to help physician practices make sound Health IT decisions.

Learn more about:

* Preparing for Health IT
* Selecting Health IT
* Implementing Health IT, and
* Choosing which meaningful use criteria apply to your practice
* Capturing data to fulfill meaningful use criteria
* Maximizing resources to help you navigate Health IT adoption

A live question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Register here for the AMA’s November 4 webinar presentation.

SPEAKERS
Sal Volpe, MD, Staten Island, NY
Jacqueline Fincher, MD, McDuffie Medical Associates, Thomson, GA

MATERIALS
In addition to the information and advice presented during this AMA webinar, you'll also receive a slide presentation of the program materials and:

* Answers to CMS EHR Incentive Program frequently asked questions
* Meaningful use table
* Summaries of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs

CAN'T LISTEN LIVE?
No problem. Go ahead and register. We'll send you a post-event e-mail with the materials and a link to the AMA’s webinar archive.

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

AMA Supports National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Reiterates the importance of getting all family members involved in making healthy food choices and increasing physical activity

CHICAGO – Today, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced its support for National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and renewed its commitment to help improve the health of our nation’s children.

“Obesity kills more Americans every year than AIDS, all cancers, and all accidents combined. It is causing health problems in children that were unthinkable 30 years ago. That is why the AMA is working to halt the spread of obesity,” said AMA Board Member Mary Anne McCaffree, MD. “As physicians, we know the importance of instilling healthy habits early in a person’s life and getting all family members involved in making healthy food choices and increasing physical activity.”

2010 Medical Families Summit

What is the Medical Families Summit?

The Medical Families Summit, hosted by the AMA Alliance Sept. 25–28 in Chicago, is where the entire medical family, including children, will network with other families and find resources, contacts and opportunities to achieve a balance between work and life.

Why is such a conference needed? Is it because doctors traditionally get so busy with work that they don't end up having enough time for their families? Is it because physicians are spending too many hours working in the hospital? Is is because residency training puts all of us into a routine where we are working so many hours that we carry that habit into clinical practice? Is it because families are being neglected by their physician moms and dads?

The summit is divided into two days (Saturday and Sunday) devoted to medical families (bring your spouse) and two days for leadership training (Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning).  Children are welcome.  A child care service will be available. Registration details will be posted to the AMA Alliance Website the first week in August.

You can learn more about the Medical Families Summit here.

Help shape the future of medical education

Join the discussion! Contribute to the future of medical education. 

Go to www.ama-assn.org/go/newhorizons where you can contribute your ideas and engage with others as we look forward to the second century beyond the Flexner Report. Your opinions are important. Voice them on our website.

Don’t miss out on the $350 million UnitedHealth Group settlement

This is a message from the AMA (American Medical Association):

Have you filed a claim yet in the $350 million UnitedHealth Group settlement? If you haven’t, time is running out to collect your share.

UnitedHealth agreed to the settlement to compensate physicians and their patients for 15 years of artificially low payments for out-of-network services. You’re eligible to file for damages if you provided covered out-of-network services or supplies between March 15, 1994, and Nov. 18, 2009, to a health plan insured or administered by UnitedHealth or its subsidiaries and have billed for those services.

Claim forms need to be completed and submitted by Oct. 5, so start the filing process today. Ask the settlement claims administrator for a copy of the defendant’s report, which indicates the covered out-of-network services and supplies you provided your patients from Jan. 1, 2002, to May 28, 2010. It may take several weeks before you receive the report, so the sooner you request your copy, the better.

The AMA offers various resources to help physicians file a claim, including an educational webinar, a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions and a step-by-step guide to help you maximize your recovery from the settlement. Visit www.ama-assn.org/go/ucrsettlement to view these resources.

AMA ePrescribing Learning Center

Have you seen the AMA ePrescribing Learning Center? If you're still using the old pen and paper method of writing prescriptions, then it's time to get ready for a chance. ePrescribing is here to stay. The AMA ePrescribing Learning Center can guide you through the process so that you can learn how to choose the right system and implement ePrescribing into your clinical practice. Do you know which ePrescribing system will work for you?

ePrescribing can make a difference in your day-to-day workload—helping you save time. And thanks to the Medicare ePrescribing Incentive Program, you can receive a special incentive payment every year through 2013.

I still run into physicians who are reluctant to try ePrescribing.  Soon, more patients will be asking for ePrescribing so that they can request a refill online. Wouldn't your life be easier if your patients could request medication refills online?

American Medical News mentions Dr. Joseph Kim in a smartphone article

American Medical Association published an article titled, "Who made the app for that? Tale of 3 app developers."

Behind every smartphone application is someone with an idea. Here are people who created some of the most popular medical, health and wellness apps.

This is a great article featuring these doctors who also developed medical apps:

1. Dr. Gregory Moore
2. Dr. Pascal Pfiffner
3. Dr. Pieter Kubben

I come in when the writer asks the question: "Are apps always reliable?"

We know that smartphone apps are not regulated, so anyone can develop and publish an app (like a swine flu detector). The app stores are getting crowded with useless medical apps. In some cases, junk apps remain popular among consumers who find them fun or entertaining.   Will the FDA and FCC intervene to regulate medical and health apps?

Click here to read the amednews.com article.

21st Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration

For the last several years, I've been attending this meeting. I'll be there again this fall and I hope to see you there. This is one of the biggest industry meetings for CME professionals and it's organized by the AMA (American Medical Association).

21st Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration

The conference agenda and online registration are now available for the 21st Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration! This conference, entitled "Moving forward in an age of uncertainty; Creating innovative, practical educational solutions" is scheduled for October 13-15, 2010 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.

Faculty and topics include:

•    Keynote presentation by Darrell G. Kirch, MD, Association of American Medical Colleges
•    Plenary session: Medicine's Self-Regulation of Professionalism: Compliance with ACCME Standards for Commercial Support
•    Providing Meaningful Outcomes in a Collaborative Approach: A Panel Discussion with the Stakeholders
•    Everything You Always Wanted to Ask Grant Officers, But Didn't Have the Guts or Chance to Ask
•    Pre-conference session

The conference brochure is available online in PDF format, and includes the schedule of events, session topics, faculty, hotel information, and more!

Looking forward to seeing you in Baltimore as we talk about CME during this "age of uncertainty."

State Medical Licensure Requirements 2010

Each year, the AMA (American Medical Association) releases their "State Medical Licensure Requirements and Statistics." In 2010, we see that sixty-two boards require continuing medical education (CME) for license reregistration. Some states also mandate CME content, such as HIV/AIDS, risk management, or end of life palliative care.

It still baffles me to think that some states still don't require physicians to participate in CME in order for them to renew their medical license. How will we know if these physicians are up-to-date on the latest evidence-based guidelines?  When will these states catch up with the others and mandate CME for their physicians? Over 50% of what we learned in medical school is probably wrong. We simply don't know which half, but over time research is revealing what's correct vs. incorrect.

You can view the 2010 state medical licensure requirements on the AMA website (PDF).

21st Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration

Mark your calendars now to attend the 21st Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration, Moving forward in an age of uncertainty: Creating innovative, practical educational solutions.

Session topics will include:
•    Alternative funding models
•    How to design outstanding educational programs
•    Outcomes – how and what to measure
•    Compliance with regulatory guidelines

This year's conference is Oct. 13-15, 2010, again at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.  Registration and other conference details will be available in July at www.ama-assn.org/go/cmetaskforce.

Live HHS webcast tonight about health care reform

This is from the AMA:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—health system reform legislation signed into law by President Obama on March 23—contains a number of key provisions for you and your patients. Some provisions may have an immediate impact on your practice and patients, while others will not take effect for some time.

Given the new direction for the nation's health system, the AMA has developed Health System Reform Insight to help you understand the new law and how it will affect you, when certain provisions are scheduled to take effect, how you can be ready when the regulations go into effect and what your patients need to know. The first two issues of the series explained how health system reform will affect physician practices and your patients (PDF). Today's issue contains details about an opportunity to get your questions answered directly about the implementation of the new health reform law. Tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern, you can participate in the first of a series of live weekly Web chats at www.hhs.gov/live, hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to gain a better understanding of the new health reform law.

You're invited: Online question-and-answer session tonight with HHS on health reform

All Americans have been invited to join top leaders from the HHS and across government tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern for the first in a series of weekly webcasts and discussions on the new health reform law. Broadcast live at www.hhs.gov/live, tonight's Web chat will center around the latest news on health insurance reform implementation and how it impacts your life. Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mill will join HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to talk about immediate benefits from the new law and answer any questions on health system reform.

Visit http://www.hhs.gov/live/ at 7 pm Eastern to participate in this live webcast.

Medicare payment changes under reform bill

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) into law. Some physicians opposed it while others favored it. How will this new reform bill affect Medicare payments? Well, the AMA has developed a handy resource that outlines the Medicare payment changes:

Although Congress will address the flawed sustainable growth rate formula in separate legislation later this year, H.R. 3590 includes a number of payment improvements for physicians that, combined, will result in immediate and significant Medicare payment increases for many physicians.

• 10 percent incentive payments for primary care physicians. All physicians in family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatrics and pediatrics whose Medicare charges for office, nursing facility and home visits comprise at least 60 percent of their total Medicare charges will be eligible for a 10 percent bonus payment for these services from 2011–16.

• 10 percent incentive payments for general surgeons performing major surgery in health professional shortage areas. All general surgeons who perform major procedures (with a 10- or 90-day global service period) in a health professional shortage area will be eligible for a 10 percent bonus payment for these services from 2011–16.

• 5 percent incentive payment for mental health services. For 2010, Medicare will increase payment for psychotherapy services by 5 percent.

Are you familiar with the AMA PCPI?

In the world of CME, the topic of performance improvement has been a hot buzzword over the past few years. In 2005, the American Medical Association (AMA) came up with a new format of CME called Performance Improvement CME or PI-CME. This type of CME follows a very specific, three-step process. Since we're on the topic of performance improvement, I'd also like to highlight that the AMA has a clinical quality resource called the PCPI. Here's some information about the PCPI: 

The American Medical Association (AMA)-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement® (PCPI) is committed to enhancing quality of care and patient safety by taking the lead in the development, testing, and maintenance of evidence-based clinical performance measures and measurement resources for physicians.

The PCPI is comprised of more than 170 national medical specialty societies, state medical societies, the American Board of Medical Specialties and member boards, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, health care professional organizations, federal agencies, individual members and others interested in improving the quality and efficiency of patient care. The 23-member Executive Committee of the PCPI has broad representation. PCPI Advisory Committees address issues related to measures implementation and evaluation; measure development, methodology and oversight.

Currently, there are 266 PCPI performance measures that are available for implementation. Descriptions and specifications for PCPI performance measures are available for 42 clinical topics and conditions.

Empowering patients to use technology to manage their care

The American Medical Association (AMA) is having a series of health information technology (health IT) webinars and the final episode will focus on empowering patients to use technology to manage their care.  

Learn how technology enables remote monitoring, patient self-management and reporting, teleconsultation and electronic visits—all of which can help your practice efficiently manage patients during “Engaging patients in using technology to manage their personal health care,” a free webinar scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. Eastern time Feb. 4.

The webinar is the final program in a four-part series from the AMA and TransforMED, a subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians, that aims to help physician practices successfully implement health information technology (IT) and improve their efficiency and quality of care. Visit the AMA health IT Web site and click on “Health IT webinars” to learn more about this program and view others in the series.

How do we empower patients so that they can know how to responsibly leverage technology to manage their own conditions? The Internet contains a ton of inaccurate health information. Do most patients know how to recognize reliable health content?

AMA/NDLS™ Disaster Volunteer Physician Registry (help Haiti)

Have you heard of the AMA/NDLS™ Disaster Volunteer Physician Registry? The American Medical Association (AMA) has set up a section on their website where physicians can fill out some information to volunteer in Haiti.

Here's what physicians received (as an eVoice Alert from the AMA):

While hospitals in Haiti have reported a decrease in emergency patients and hospitalizations since the middle of last week, the need for continued medical assistance is still significant. As a result, the need for all physicians—within the disciplines of primary care, surgery and rehabilitation—will continue over the following months.

This news surfaced when representatives from the AMA’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response met with federal officials and other private sector partners in Washington, D.C., last week. I encourage you—as the AMA remains heavily engaged with the international response community—to consider how you too can help with this effort.
The AMA/NDLS™ Disaster Volunteer Physician Registry provides an easy and convenient means to facilitate and coordinate the deployment of physicians who are willing to volunteer with federal and private sector response organizations. The information you provide will be used specifically for disaster response deployment to Haiti, but it may also be employed should future disasters occur around the world.

Remember, the health care infrastructure in Port-au-Prince and other areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks have suffered significant damage. This environment isn’t one that many of us have ever seen before. It’s physically challenging, austere and resource-constrained. Therefore, we must be self-sufficient and able to work independently.
And we must be prepared. So if you want to help, start by viewing a free online training program—from the AMA and the NDLS™ Education Consortium—entitled "Medical and public health responders: Prepare for the Haitian earthquake disaster relief efforts." It will help you gain a better understanding of the essential clinical and public health skills needed to manage individuals and populations affected by the earthquake.

It truly is an amazing thing how we as a nation and the entire world have quickly come together to help our fellow members of mankind. Practicing physicians, we need your help. Visit www.ama-assn.org/go/haiti-volunteer to learn more about the AMA/NDLS™ Disaster Volunteer Physician Registry, or to register, today. And thank you—your efforts are deeply appreciated.

                  J. James Rohack, MD, President

Click here to learn more about the AMA/NDLS™ Disaster Volunteer Physician Registry.