AMA platform seeks to encourage physician input on innovation

Online initiative is intended to bring the physician voice to product development, says David Barbe, MD.


The American Medical Association is rolling out an online platform to connect doctors who have ideas on new technologies with vendors and entrepreneurs hoping to get physician perspectives on development of products and services.

The platform is the Physician Innovative Network and it’s open to clinicians who want paid or volunteer opportunities to collaborate with vendors. The platform also enables vendors to find physicians with specific expertise needed for a project.

“The AMA is committed to shaping a future where digital health tools are evidence-based, validated, interoperable and actionable to ensure patients are receiving high-quality care,” says David Barbe, MD, president of the nation’s largest physician organization.

“To make this a reality, AMA is working with leaders across healthcare who are keenly focused on technologies that work better for patients and physicians, and seeking ways to bring the physician voice into the innovation space,” he adds. “When physician expertise is aligned with input from partners on the leading edge of health technology, we produce meaningful results.”

Also See: AMA launches platform for organizing, exchanging health information

Clinicians can join the Physician Innovative Network to participate in online communities, and contribute their technical and professional expertise to ensure that new technologies being developed are meeting specific needs and will work in the real world. The network enables physicians to create a personal profile of their expertise and interests, or a product if they have an idea in mind. Technology companies can search the profiles to find the right clinicians to work with.

Conversely, companies also can create their own profiles, and physicians can then approach firms whose ideas interest them. There is no cost for physicians or technology firms to participate in the Physician Innovative Network; AMA is acting as an intermediary to bring them together.

AMA further has introduced the Integrated Health Model Initiative to work with physicians on improving the efficiency and inoperability of their practices. Projects under this initiative could include:
  • Creating data models focusing on patient outcomes.
  • Finding new ways to ensure that appropriate information is placed in electronic health records efficiently while supporting interoperability.
  • Developing a standardized way to organize and share health information as well as processes to improve analytics queries by identifying the right data points, and identifying the corresponding information that is most important.

Early participants in the Integrated Health Model Initiative include IBM, Cerner, Intermountain Healthcare, the American Heart Association and the American Medical Informatics Association.

AMA also is involved with other ongoing programs with information technology developers. These include Health2017, which partners with established companies to optimize their entries into the market; its partnership with the MATTER healthcare technology incubator; working with Sling Health, a student-run biotechnology incubator; and being one of four founding members of Xcertia, a collaboration working to improve mobile health apps.

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