Colorado Medical Society

Introduced by: Christopher Unrein, DO and Alethia Morgan, MD

Subject: E-Health

Referred to: Reference Committee on Health Affairs

WHEREAS, the complexity of the health care system continues to grow and that growth is being magnified by the profusion and ongoing innovation of health information technology, and

WHEREAS, health information technology, otherwise known as E-health, offers a wide range of services including electronic medical records, patient registries, computerized physician order entry systems and electronic prescribing, and

WHEREAS, these E-health services offer opportunities to improve administrative efficiencies, reduce malpractice liability, increase quality of care, maximize patient safety, promote transparency and document accountability, and

WHEREAS, the health care marketplace and the federal government are strongly encouraging and may imminently require physicians to utilize E-health services despite the lack of uniform standards, the high cost of such systems, the need for changes in reimbursement to support such systems, and the slow adoption of such systems by physicians, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the CMS and its component societies develop initiatives on E-health services, standards and impending regulation. The goal of these initiatives is to educate members in order to enable informed decision-making, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the CMS explore options to facilitate the provision of E-Health services by members, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the CMS collaborate with its component societies and other interested public and private organizations to build and strengthen Colorado's health information technology infrastructure to improve the delivery of care and ensure a patient centric focus. A report back on these activities will be made to the House of Delegates during the 2005 Annual Meeting.

FISCAL IMPACT: None