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The AAFP's Partners for Patients initiative recently received a boost from health information technology companies wanting to go on record as supporting the Academy's electronic health records vision.
More than 20 companies have come forward, unsolicited, and asked to sign declarations of support, saying they too see value in developing EHR systems that encompass the AAFP's core principles of affordability, compatibility, interoperability and data stewardship -- principles that form the bedrock of the initiative.
The Academy's core group of IT partners are serving in an advisory capacity to the AAFP and have signed principled group purchasing agreements. The supporting companies are not expected to sign such agreements, and they do not have the same obligation to offer discounted prices on their products and services, although many may do so.
Why should members be interested in this news? After all, moral support is nice, but it won't help FPs equip their offices with EHR systems.
"The growing support of a wide array of companies is encouraging because we've never had IT vendors calling us saying, 'We want to work with you,'" said Rosemarie Sweeney, AAFP vice president for socioeconomic affairs and policy analysis. "The IT vendor community is finally paying attention to family physicians."
Keep checking the AAFP's Center for Health Information Technology Web site at http://www.aafp.org/centerforhit.xml for updates.
To reach writer Sheri Porter, e-mail sporter@aafp.org.
FP Report is published by the
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Copyright © 2004 by
American Academy of Family Physicians.