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May 2002
Volume 66 |
Number 5
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| EMIT: Untangling
the Web of Electronic Communication |
Keith J. Ruskin, M.D., Chair
Committee on Electronic Media and Information
Technology
The Committee on Electronic Media and Information Technology
(EMIT) was formed to help ASA members make the most of exciting
developments in computing and the Internet. The members of EMIT
find new ways to use technology in order to improve patient care
and make our professional lives easier. They help ASA members
use information technology for education, communication and a
multitude of other purposes. EMIT members explore new products
and services before they enter the mainstream and determine whether
they might be relevant to clinical practice, education or research.
As computing technology evolves, the Society looks to EMIT to
answer questions and solve problems.
| "This year, EMIT is working to provide new information
on the ASA Web site, offer educational programs at the ASA
Annual Meeting and set up practical demonstrations on how
to incorporate computing technology into clinical practice." |
The ways in which we use computers as part of our practice and
our personal lives continue to grow and change. In this issue
of the NEWSLETTER, EMIT members and ASA staff members discuss
a variety of issues related to computing in clinical practice.
Each of these articles was written to help answer questions raised
by ASA members.
As our clinical responsibilities grow, it is becoming ever more
crucial to keep in touch with our colleagues, while the amount
of time we have to do so continues to shrink. Roy G. Soto, M.D.,
and Ira J. Rampil, M.D., explain how wireless communication can
help physicians keep in close touch with their patients. Jeffrey
M. Taekman, M.D., discusses new developments in educational technology.
Handheld computers are becoming more popular, and physicians
represent the most rapidly growing segment of this market. A variety
of clinical tools have been introduced that work on both Palm
OS™ and WindowsCEŽ-based handheld computers. J. Kent Garman,
M.D., discusses new ways to use handheld computers such as the
Palm or Handspring.
The signing into law of the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) means that each of us will be required
to adopt stringent new protections of patient privacy. Karin Bierstein,
ASA Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs (Regulatory), gives
us an update in her column on HIPAA privacy and describes how
to extend the deadline for compliance with HIPAA electronic transaction
rules.
The members of EMIT take pride in their ability to help anesthesiologists
use computers and the Internet. This year, EMIT is working to
provide new information on the ASA Web site, offer educational
programs at the ASA Annual Meeting and set up practical demonstrations
on how to incorporate computing technology into clinical practice.
What should EMIT do next? The most important source of ideas for
our committee is you!
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Keith
J. Ruskin, M.D., is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology,
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. |
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