Last week, the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems teamed up with the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, the Optum Institute for Sustainable Health and Siemens Healthcare to launch a social media initiative aimed at helping physicians share information about health IT, Modern Healthcare reports (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 12/2).
The project -- called, "Doctors Helping Doctors Transform Health Care" -- provides a social platform for physicians to share their health IT experiences and learn from their peers (Gale, CMIO, 12/5).
Peter Basch, AMDIS member and board chair of the new initiative, said, "Our goal is to help other doctors navigate how to use health IT to make care better, safer and more effective." He added, "With meaningful use incentives now being offered by federal and state programs to support the use of health IT, we have the opportunity to leverage this significant investment to transform health care" (Modern Healthcare, 12/2).
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
Additional organizations collaborating with AMDIS on the social media project include the:
- American College of Cardiology;
- American College of Physicians;
- American Osteopathic Association; and
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (CMIO, 12/5).