Innovations in health information technology and digital health—such as telemedicine and artificial intelligence —are transforming the health care landscape. These technologies will have a major impact on the practice of medicine, health system operations, and interactions with patients.
The AAMC shares the latest policy developments in digital health, identifies skills and tools for adapting to digital health innovations, convenes thought leaders to recommend common data standards, and provides learning opportunities for our members’ professional growth.
The Latest News
New AAMC Publication Presents Best Practices for Advancing Telehealth in Academic Health Systems
As telehealth has become an even more widely accepted mode of delivering care, academic medical centers are examining how it can advance their strategic goals. A new report, published by the AAMC and Mannat, presents effective strategies and successful practices from health system leaders that have established leading telehealth programs. The strategies are designed to help health system leaders and telehealth managers critically assess, design, implement, and integrate telehealth programs across mission areas.
Policy Communications and Insights
Use of the Health Level Seven International (HL7®) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) for Capturing and Sharing Clinical Data for Research Purposes
The AAMC submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in response to a Request for Information (RFI) about the Use of the Health Level Seven International (HL7®) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) for Capturing and Sharing Clinical Data for Research Purposes.
Action on Interoperability of Medical Devices, Data, and Platforms to Enhance Patient Care
The AAMC submitted comments to the National Science Foundation in response to a Request for Information (RFI) about approaches to solving interoperability issues between medical devices, data, and platforms.
Sharing Data, Saving Lives: The Hospital Agenda for Interoperability
This publication outlines the current challenges related to health information technology (health IT), provides examples of ways that health systems are effectively sharing data, and identifies priorities that stakeholders must address to improve interoperability moving forward.
Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs
This report, a joint effort between the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, addresses strategies to reduce clinician burden and meet the goals of the 21st Century Cures Act. The AAMC submitted comments about the draft strategy of this report during the public comment period.
Reducing the Stress Associated with Electronic Health Records
This AAMCNews article identifies why electronic health records (EHRs) are a leading contributor to physician burnout and identifies potential solutions for alleviating the burden of EHRs.
Webinars
Overview of the Final Interoperability and Information Blocking Rules
Following the enforcement discretion announcements related to the release of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s (ONC) 21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking, and the ONC Health IT Certification Program final rule and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Interoperability and Patient Access final rule, AAMC speakers Gayle Lee, JD, Director, Physician Payment & Quality and Phoebe Ramsey, JD, Senior Regulatory Analyst, Quality & Payment Policy presented the key provisions of these regulations, requirements for providers and health systems, and updated implementation timelines.
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Combining Technology, Scientific Research, and Data – NIH’s Encouragement of the FHIR Standard for Research
The AAMC and the American Medical Informatics Association hosted a webinar about the National Institutes of Health’s decision to promote the use of FHIR-compatible data formats to help accelerate the interoperability of data and its use for clinical research purposes. The webinar featured presentations by Clem J. McDonald, MD, Chief Health Data Standards Officer, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and Teresa Zayas-Cabán, PhD, Chief Scientist, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and was moderated by W. Ed Hammond, PhD, Director, Duke Center for Health Informatics, Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
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