American Medical Informatics Association Leaders Shaping the Future of Biomedical and Health Informatics

American Medical Informatics Association Leaders Shaping the Future of Biomedical and Health Informatics

Public TV Airs Series Highlighting Benefits of Electronic Health Records to Patient Safety and Quality of Care

BETHESDA, Md., May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) is featured in an important new episode of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind exploring the link between health information technology (HIT) and informatics, particularly the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and the efficiency, and quality of health care that patients receive. This special episode of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind was sponsored in part by Pfizer, through its Medical Humanities Initiative and Healthcare Informatics group in support of AMIA's GotEHR? initiative.

Over the past five years, patient safety has become a visible national priority, whether ensuring prescriptions are written and dispensed correctly, monitoring a patient's clinical status, or diagnosing patient's diseases in rural areas of the country. This program, now airing on select PBS stations nationwide, addresses the benefits that can be realized by reducing medical errors, improving quality of care and making patients informed consumers.

In the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, "To Err is Human," researchers concluded that thousands of patient deaths are preventable. The report estimates the total expenses associated with preventable errors is between $17 billion and $29 billion per year in hospitals across the country. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 10 patients receiving hospital care will experience some form of unintended harm. Evidence-based technological innovations made possible with EHRs hold the promise of reducing the incidence of medical errors and unintended harm to patients while still reducing the costs. EHRs hold the key to transforming the U.S. Health care system into a patient-centered care environment that is safe, effective, efficient, and transparent.

This episode of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind highlights the work of health informatics pioneers including:

-- Don E. Detmer, MD, MA, President and CEO, American Medical Informatics
Association;
-- David W. Bates, MD, MSC, Chairman-Elect, American Medical Informatics
Association, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School,
Partners HealthCare Systems;
-- Kevin B. Johnson MD, MS, AMIA Board Director, Associate Professor &
Vice Chair of Biomedical Informatics, Associate Professor of
Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of
Biomedical Informatics;
-- Paul Donovan, DO, FACEP, Northern Berkshire Sports Medicine, Inc.,
Northern Berkshire Ambulatory Care Center;
-- Micky Tripathi, President and CEO, Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative;
-- David Delano, Director of Information Technology, Northern Berkshire
Health System;
-- Tom Fritz, CEO, Inland Northwest Health Services;
-- Cherie Galusha, Nursing Informatics Manager, Sacred Heart Medical
Center; and
-- Jeffrey B. Clode, MD, Physicians Clinic of Spokane Washington;
-- Additional experts are featured as well as the consumer perspective,
captured in dialogue and scenes that demonstrate the patient/provider
connection and use of EHRs.

"Despite President Bush's call for adoption of electronic health records by the year 2014, the U.S. seriously lags behind the world in investment and commitment," said Don E. Detmer, AMIA President and CEO. He adds, "According to a recent Commonwealth Fund's study, the USA invests 43¢ per capita versus over $190 per capita in England and Wales. This episode of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind provides solid examples of how health care quality and safety is improved with proper health information technology."

"The conversion to electronic health records should make care safer and less expensive in a variety of ways, but one of the most important of these is computerization of prescribing, which should substantially improve medication safety, commented AMIA Chairman-elect, David W. Bates." "Overall, the conversion to electronic health records will be one of the most important changes in medicine in the 21st century."

"The opportunity to affect change in today's health care system is being accelerated in the use of advanced technologies" said David Isom, Senior Director of Healthcare Informatics at Pfizer. "Patient safety is among our highest priorities, and, at Pfizer, we believe in partnering with organizations like AMIA who are taking a leadership role in shaping the future of health care information."

The award winning Healthy Body, Healthy Mind series explores today's latest medical progress in health and wellness issues. Developed through the real life experiences of physicians and their patients, this series combines scientific and clinical data with poignant storytelling, to deliver the best information to viewers. The EHR and Patient Safety episode (#804) examines the connection between the appropriate use of technology in the delivery of high- quality, accurate and timely health care.

Viewers should check their local PBS television listing for the airing schedule or go to: http://www.healthybodyhealthymind.com/

To view a streaming video of the episode, visit http://www.itvisus.com/programs/hbhm/episode_804patientsafety.asp.

For a DVD copy of the program and to receive a patient safety brochure, contact the AMIA office at: 301-657-1291 or mail@amia.org.

For more information about Electronic Health Records, visit http://www.got-ehr.org/ or visit the AMIA Web site at: http://www.amia.org/.

About AMIA

The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) is a professional organization of leaders shaping the future of biomedical and health informatics in the United States and over 50 nations. AMIA is dedicated to the development and application of informatics in support of patient care, public health, teaching, research, administration, and related policy. Complete information about AMIA is available at: http://www.amia.org/.

About Pfizer

Pfizer is committed to helping people improve their health by discovering and developing medicines, as well as informing consumers and health care providers about our medicines and the medical conditions they treat. Through multiple initiatives, Pfizer aims to enhance access to treatments and educate, empower and motivate consumers to take the necessary steps to lead longer, healthier, happier lives.

About Information Television Network

Founded in 1992, Information Television Network (ITV) is a privately-held full service television and entertainment production company specializing in producing original health and wellness content. ITV's distribution in the United States includes: Discovery Communications, PBS, ION Media Networks and The Patient Channel. ITV has produced more than 400 half hour programs distributed in over 50 countries, and is consistently been recognized for excellence with prestigious industry awards including Emmy, FREDDIE'S, Telly's and Gracies. For more information visit http://www.itvisus.com/.

Contact: Tia Abner
301-657-1291 ext. 105
tia@amia.org

Source: American Medical Informatics Association

CONTACT: Tia Abner of the American Medical Informatics Association,
+1-301-657-1291 ext. 105, tia@amia.org

Web site:

http://www.amia.org/
http://www.itvisus.com/
http://www.healthybodyhealthymind.com/
http://www.got-ehr.org/

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