The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced new webinars to give physicians information on health information technology (HIT), including the HIT provisions in the economic stimulus bill passed this year.

According to a press release on the AMA website, the organization is offering a three-part series on how the stimulus bill HIT provisions related to physicians and how physicians may utilize the 19 billion dollars earmarked for HIT.

"The stimulus bill marks the first significant federal investment in HIT and offers both financial benefits for physicians and the promise of national standards that will increase the interoperability of systems," said AMA Board Chair-Elect Rebecca J. Patchin, MD in the press release. "As new information becomes available, the AMA will tap experts and health care leaders to review key components of the stimulus bill and offer insights on what they mean for physicians."


The schedule includes Basics of the Health Information Technology Provisions on May 21, Update on the Health Information Technology Provision on June 9, and Real World Perspectives on July 14.

"The AMA is optimistic about the promise HIT holds for increasing patient safety, improving care coordination between multiple physicians and reducing unnecessary paper work," Dr. Patchin commented in the press release. "We are eager to help physicians determine when the time is right to invest in HIT and how to make implementation as easy as possible."

The press release also noted that the AMA has just launched an online electronic prescribing learning center to assist physicians who wish to implement this area of HIT into their practice and thereby benefit from the Medicare incentive program.

Registration for the webinars and other HIT tools are available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/solutions-managing-your-practice/health-information-technology/hit-resources-activities.shtml

Adapted from a press release by the American Medical Association.