Heeding Information Technology’s Call

The AAFP boldly established itself as a leader in the arena of health care information technology (IT) during the past few months.

The first step came in September, when the Academy’s Board of Directors voted to establish the AAFP Center for Health Information Technology. The center, based in the Academy’s Leawood, Kan, office, has been charged with a heady mission: to promote and facilitate the adoption and optimal use of health IT by AAFP members and other office-based clinicians. AAFP leaders expect the center to become a national resource for information and communications technology.

“The establishment of the center signals the need to move from paper-based to computerized information systems in the family physician’s office,” said AAFP Executive Vice President Douglas Henley, MD. “The activities of the center will improve the quality and safety of medical care and, in turn, increase the efficiency of health care delivery.”

The Academy’s second move turned heads in both health care and technology corners. In November, AAFP held a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington to announce partnerships with 9 leading IT companies. The initiative sends a clear signal that the Academy’s top leadership is serious about moving the specialty of family medicine into the world of electronic health records (EHR) as quickly as possible.

In fact, the Academy has a lofty goal: to have 50% of active members using EHRs by the end of 2005.

The recently secured agreements should help bring that goal to fruition. To date, the partners are A4 Health Systems, GE Medical Systems Information Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, MedPlexus, Inc, Med-Plus, Inc, NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc, Physician Micro Systems, Inc, Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corp and Welch Allyn, Inc.

The Academy’s Web site at http://www.aafp.org/x24906.xml serves as a starting point for gathering product information. Academy members can pick and choose from a variety of hardware and software options at prices discounted from 15% to 50%. All information is easily accessible. Members just log in with their AAFP identification numbers and quickly link to partners’ Web sites for product and pricing information.

As one business partner pointed out, the EHR initiative is not about a group of companies creating one new product. It’s about building a new network to allow existing products to communicate with one another.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Each company involved in the principled group-purchasing agreements has pledged to uphold the Academy’s 4 guiding principles for the initiative.

Affordability offers the key to unlocking technology’s door and ushering in thousands of small to medium-sized family medicine offices. The physicians in these practices represent the backbone of family medicine, and while most recognize the benefits of EHRs, many say they cannot afford the start-up costs.

Compatibility represents another vital component of the initiative; the prospect of incompatibility alarms potential users. Most family physicians have neither the time nor the money to replace an existing system because it won’t support necessary upgrades and additional components.

Interoperability means that data can be shared among the clinician, laboratory, hospital pharmacy and patient—regardless of the application or application vendor.

Data stewardship promises that clinicians will retain control of data produced as a product of their EHR systems.

DIGITAL IMPERATIVE

Why the AAFP’s push now?

Why not now is the better question. It’s common knowledge that the health care community lags behind just about every other industry—even fast food restaurants and video rental stores—when it comes to implementing digital technology.

Concerns about patient safety, quality of care, office efficiency, and the rising cost of health care demonstrate the need for a better system of doing business.

The EHR products the AAFP and its partners are offering will help ensure that patients receive the most timely, appropriate, and efficient medical care possible, said AAFP President Michael Fleming, MD, of Shreve-port, La, at the news conference.

An EHR can be the central nervous system of the family medicine office. EHR systems enable physicians to gather and integrate patient information, medical resources, and patient-education resources. Physicians can oversee patients’ information and the necessary releases to other health care entities. An EHR can help physicians reduce medical errors and duplication of services. Given these benefits, the AAFP decided it was time to quit talking and start moving.

The Academy will continue its search for companies to join the effort, thereby offering even broader product options to members. With luck, other medical specialties will follow the Academy’s lead, and the entire health care industry will benefit.

“These actions place us clearly in the forefront of technological development among all other medical associations,” said Fleming.

Sheri Porter

AAFP News Department