Electronic Health Reporter

The American Medical Association (AMA) has created a new resource to help physicians extend care beyond the exam room with technologies that are “changing the way patients interact with healthcare.”  The Digital Health Implementation Playbook offers a guide to the most efficient path for applying digital health solutions including key steps, best practices, and resources to accelerate and achieve digital health adoption. The AMA made this announcement in conjunction with the Digital Health Collaborative and Connected Health Conference.

Physicians are optimistic about the potential of digital health innovation to benefit medicine and expect to use more digital health tools in the near future, however, complex factors inhibit adoption. During an AMA-convened summit this year, innovators, researchers, physicians and decision makers warned that adoption and implementation of digital health solutions can be difficult and time-consuming.

“Implementing digital health technology has been a challenge for those without a clear course to success,” said AMA chair-elect Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H. “The AMA is committed to making technology an asset, not a burden, and the Playbook provides the medical community with widespread access to a proven path for implementing digitally enabled health and care. The Playbook’s road map is based on institutional knowledge and best practices convened by the AMA from a wide array of experts in the field.”

The Playbook is designed for care teams and administrators in medical practices of all sizes and areas of specialty. The Playbook is a living document that will be updated to include new content over time. As the Playbook evolves, it will provide a helpful 12-steps process to guide the implementation of a variety of digital health solutions. The first six steps are fundamental to the implementation of any digital health solution. The subsequent six steps focus on specific digital health solutions and the unique considerations relevant to that specific technology.

Currently, the Playbook provides resources for the implementation of remote patient monitoring (RPM) using devices, trackers and sensors to capture and record patient generated health data outside of the traditional clinical environment. RPM provides clinicians the opportunity to apply patient generated health data to improve the management of chronic disease and engage patients in their own care.

As more connected devices and wearables are validated as accurate, reliable and effective health care tools, the medical community is increasingly looking to integrate digital health and mobile health technology into medical practices to better understand and manage chronic diseases outside of the practice environment as health care shifts toward value-based reimbursements.

“The tremendous potential of digital health will continue to grow as many exciting and innovative solutions prove the ability to create better outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. Ehrenfeld “The Digital Health Implementation Playbook responds to a growing demand for proven guidance that physicians and care teams need to successfully integrate effective technology into practice.”

The AMA is grateful to more than 80 physicians, care team members, health care administrators, patients and digital health thought leaders who contributed their expertise and input to the Playbook to help the medical community adopt change faster and more successfully.