On  Tuesday, September 29, the American Medical Association (AMA) will hold a virtual town hall meeting to give physicians a chance to discuss concerns with poorly designed electronic health record (EHR) systems and the impact they have on patient care and government mandates.

The U.S. government has spent some $25 billion on the program to promote a digital health infrastructure based on the power of EHRs to enhance patient care, improve productivity, and reduce costs. While 80 percent of physicians have adopted EHR technology, many physicians believe that the current meaningful use regulations threaten to turn the promise of EHRs into a pipe-dream.

Many physicians say stringent government rules require EHR systems to serve too many functions and that the technology interferes with face-to-face discussions with patients, prohibits efforts to share important health care information between different systems and diverts resources away from patient care.

During the live event, AMA will also discuss its ongoing initiatives to reframe federal regulations and encourage better designed EHRs that emphasize high-quality patient care as the primary focus.

Physicians and others who are not able to participate in this event can still make their voices heard on this critical issue. Visit BreaktheRedTape.org to share thoughts and experiences about EHR problems and solutions.

The virtual event will begin at 3 p.m.  Register for the program here.

Contact: Robert J. Mills, (312) 464-5970 or robert.mills@ama-assn.org.