Ethics Alerts - United States
In 2003, The American Medical Association (AMA) began providing free "ethics alerts" to USA physicians via ePocrates' DocAlert® system, a messaging system for personal digital assistants (PDAs). These alerts are intended to increase understanding of the AMA's Code of Medical Ethics, and thus provide physicians with practical guidance on dealing with ethical challenges in medical practice.
Communication Strategies
The central programme strategy and goal is to provide physicians with immediate and easily accessed information from the Code of Medical Ethics to enhance physicians' decisions in ethically complex situations.
The AMA's Ethics Standards Division will create the content for bimonthly ethics messages, which ePocrates Rx® users will receive when they update ("hotsync") their handheld devices. Specifically, up to 3 short, timely news briefs are delivered to users each time they update their ePocrates® software. Messages include medication safety alerts, practice management news, and clinical news targeted by specialty. Users can view additional information, save it to their PDA, or request additional information via email. Depending on the alert, this additional information may include clinical abstracts, continuing medical education opportunities, conference event descriptions, clinical guidelines, or links to websites (such as the AMA site) and electronic reports.
These strategies are designed to enable physicians to obtain practical, point-of-care access to informed opinions on practical, clinical matters such as:
Health, Ethics, Technology.
The AMA's Ethics Standards Division will create the content for bimonthly ethics messages, which ePocrates Rx® users will receive when they update ("hotsync") their handheld devices. Specifically, up to 3 short, timely news briefs are delivered to users each time they update their ePocrates® software. Messages include medication safety alerts, practice management news, and clinical news targeted by specialty. Users can view additional information, save it to their PDA, or request additional information via email. Depending on the alert, this additional information may include clinical abstracts, continuing medical education opportunities, conference event descriptions, clinical guidelines, or links to websites (such as the AMA site) and electronic reports.
These strategies are designed to enable physicians to obtain practical, point-of-care access to informed opinions on practical, clinical matters such as:
- What is the professional responsibility of physicians who are asked to render second opinions and disagree with the first physician's medical judgment?
- How should physicians respond to the increasing numbers of emails they are receiving from patients?
- Is informed consent necessary for routine lab tests and procedures?
Health, Ethics, Technology.
Key Points
The AMA's Code of Medical Ethics focusses on ethics, quality care, physician performance, and social policy on areas such as AIDS, drug evaluation, end-of-life care, and assisted reproductive technology.
Over 325,000 health care professionals, including over 130,000 USA physicians, currently subscribe to a version of ePocrates Rx®. More than one-third of practicing physicians in the United States use PDAs; two-thirds of them (over 20% of all practicing USA physicians) are ePocrates subscribers.
A select number of the ethics alert messages are sponsored by health care and pharmaceutical companies.
Over 325,000 health care professionals, including over 130,000 USA physicians, currently subscribe to a version of ePocrates Rx®. More than one-third of practicing physicians in the United States use PDAs; two-thirds of them (over 20% of all practicing USA physicians) are ePocrates subscribers.
A select number of the ethics alert messages are sponsored by health care and pharmaceutical companies.
Partners
ePocrates and AMA.
Sources
Letter sent from Clare Kirk to The Communication Initiative on October 3 2003; and "AMA Will Provide Electronic Ethics Alerts to Physicians", dated September 8 2003; and The American Journal of Bioethics Weekly News & Updates, sent to the Communication Initiative on September 17 2003.
- Log in to post comments