AMA issues ‘playbook’ for physicians to implement digital health

The nation’s largest physician organization has developed a playbook to help doctors implement digital health technologies.

The American Medical Association says the initiative is crucial for its membership because the use of emerging technologies will be a force in transforming healthcare.

“Digital tools that enable new methods and modalities to improve healthcare, enable lifestyle change and create efficiencies are proliferating quickly,” contends the AMA. However, the physician professional association warns that “clinical integration of these tools is lacking.”

The guide, which is designed for care teams and administrators in medical practices of all sizes and areas of specialty, includes key steps, best practices and resources to accelerate the adoption of digital health solutions, according to the AMA.

“As more connected devices and wearables are validated as accurate, reliable and effective healthcare 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 healthcare shifts toward value-based reimbursements,” states the AMA.

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Specifically, AMA’s playbook offers resources for the implementation of remote patient monitoring by leveraging devices, sensors and trackers to gather patient-generated health data outside the clinical environment, to improve chronic disease management and patient engagement.

“Implementing digital health technology has been a challenge for those without a clear course to success,” says AMA Chair-elect Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, in a written statement. “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 roadmap is based on institutional knowledge and best practices convened by the AMA from a wide array of experts in the field.”

More than 80 physicians, care team members, healthcare administrators, patients and digital health thought leaders contributed their expertise and input to the AMA’s playbook, the group notes.

“This playbook is a living document that will be updated to include new content over time,” the document notes. “As the playbook evolves, it will provide a helpful 12-step process to guide the implementation of a variety of digital health solutions.”