AMA Launches Suite Of Health IT ToolsAMA Launches Suite Of Health IT Tools

Health IT Boosts Patient Care, Safety

Physicians can get a single point of access to more than 20 health information technology systems, knowledge and communication tools, and consulting resources to improve practice efficiency and patient care from Amagine, a subsidiary of the American Medical Association, which introduced its Amagine platform on Tuesday.

The company said the Web-based platform will bring a plethora of health IT systems to physicians. These include three electronic medical record products, electronic prescribing software, claims management systems, and clinical decision support and reference tools.

Dr. First, Allscripts, DocSite, WellCentive, CareTracker, Quest Care360 and NextGen are just some of the top providers available through the Amagine platform.

Additionally, Amagine consultants provide physicians with a free practice assessment to determine their readiness to adopt health IT and then make tailored recommendations for the individual practice.

According to Robert Musacchio, senior vice president for business product solutions at Amagine, physicians are currently focused on meeting recently established federal requirements related to the implementation of electronic health records, electronic prescription systems, and related technology. With a flood of new and improved health IT offerings to choose from, physicians need help as they go through the decision-making process.

"The Amagine platform delivers tailored health IT solutions to medical practices to help physicians determine their practice needs, select the right system and qualify for federal health IT incentives," Musacchio said in a statement.

Musacchio added that the free Amagine practice assessment is an invaluable resource for physician practices. "By having physicians answer a few simple questions, Amagine consultants are able to help them identify their unique needs and make specific recommendations on how they can best incorporate health IT into their practice," Musacchio said.

Subscriptions to the Amagine platform vary in price and can start from $20 per month per physician for electronic prescribing systems to $300 per physician per month for electronic medical records systems.

The Amagine platform has been pilot tested by Michigan physicians from the Michigan State Medical Society since 2009.

Increasingly, medical organizations are turning to Web-based tools as a way to help clinicians improve their daily tasks. For example, next month the American College of Surgeons will launch an online community website that offers a range of collaborative tools to connect surgeons, facilitate the sharing of advice, and provide updated research and other resources.

In March, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center launched the nation's first personalized cancer decision-support website for cancer researchers. The site will collect and distribute information about the expanding list of genetic mutations that impact different cancers, as well as provide links to research documents on various treatment options based on specific mutations.