WASHINGTON, July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is attributable to J. James Rohack, M.D., AMA Chair:
"The AMA welcomes the first strategic framework report on health information technology released today by Dr. David Brailer, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Physicians are eager to adopt new technology that helps them improve patient care and increase efficiency. Physicians use the latest technology every day to diagnose and treat patients, and they were among the first to embrace earlier information technologies, such as pagers and cell phones, because these technologies helped them serve their patients better.
"Electronic health records have the potential to be revolutionary, but work remains to be sure they deliver on this promise. The AMA is committed to helping fulfill the promise of an affordable, standards-based electronic health record.
"The AMA shares the vision outlined in today's report that includes improved health care quality, fewer medical system errors, strong patient privacy protections, and more time for physicians to spend with their patients. The implementation of this vision will not happen overnight and there will be challenges to overcome, but the AMA is committed to making this vision a reality."
American Medical AssociationCONTACT: Brenda L. Craine, Director, Washington Media Relations, of theAmerican Medical Association, +1-202-789-7447, brenda_craine@ama-assn.org
Web site: http://www.ama-assn.org/
