Resources
(The following links lead outside of the APA's site and do not constitute an endorsement.)
EHR Educational Materials and Tools
American Academy of Family Physicians: Center for Health Information TechnologyComprehensive site contains news items and free tutorials on EHRs, hardware, networking, and implementation. (Some resources on the site, such as EHR software reviews, are for members only).
American Academy of Neurology: EHR ResourcesIncludes a power point series on EHRs (return on investment, contracting, and functionality), and various articles and publications.
American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives: Information TechnologyMany materials are for members only, but contains a guide on selecting software and hardware.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Council on Clinical Information TechnologySite includes EHR software reviews, government/regulatory information, and upcoming HIT events.
American College of Physicians: Medical ComputingContains information on current HIT topics and conferences. The ACP site also includes an EHR Adoption Road Map and Tools (much of the material is for members only).
American Hospital Assocation: Health Information TechnologyContains news and resources on HIT topics affecting hospitals.
American Osteopathic Academy of Medical InformaticsOrganization focusing on health information technology in Osteopathy.
American Urological Association: Healthcare Quality and Information TechnologyContains overviews on topics such as e-Prescribing, Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations, and Pay for Performance.
Royal College of Psychiatrists Mental Health Informatics Special Interest GroupContains a document library with relevant articles and information on a UK-based Mental Health Informatics discussion forum.
American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) "Got EHR?" InitiativeInitiative to promote EHR use for patient safety. Includes journal and news articles.
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) EHR PageContains numerous EHR articles and resources.
EHR Selection ToolsA listing of free and cost-associated tools.
Master Quotation Guide for Practicing CliniciansTool from the eHealth Initiative for comparing bids from EHR vendors (tailored for small- to medium-sized medical practices).
Vendor Evaluation Matrix Tool from the Medicare DOQ-IT (Doctor's Office Quality Information Technology) project for comparing multiple software products side-by-side based on their functionality.
Software Listings and ReviewsSoftware List compiled by APA StaffList of EHR and practice management software vendors (with links)
AC GroupConsulting site (includes report evaluating select software vendors)
Electronic Health Record Vendors Association (EHRVA)Trade association of EHR vendors. Membership list includes links to vendors.
EMR Consultant
Consulting site (includes list of EHR products)
EMRUpdateForum for physicians to discuss EHR issues and products
Open Source Medical ProjectsListing of Open Source software (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Physicians EHR
Consulting site
Software and Technology Vendors' Association (SATVA)
Trade organization of Behavioral Health software vendors. Site includes links to vendors, a white paper on selecting an EHR for behavioral healthcare organization executives, and other educational information.
Health Information Technology Organizations
American Association for Technology in Psychiatry (AATP)Membership organization dedicated to the development and use of IT to improve the quality and availability of psychiatric and mental health care. Site includes a weblog and a listing of relevant links. Holds its annual meeting in association with the APA annual meeting.
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)Membership Organization for health information management professionals. Site contains health information management resources and hosts a free Personal Health Record.
American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)Membership organization focused on various areas of medical informatics. Site contains information on meetings, Informatics news, and AMIA initiatives.
Doctor's Office Quality Information Technology (DOQ-IT) Medicare initiative to promote EHR and IT adoption in small-to-medium sized office practices (currently limited to primary care).
eHealth InitiativeNon-profit organization whose mission is to drive improvement in quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare through HIT. Site contains numerous resources, including an overview of current legislative efforts, resources on Global HIT efforts, and the "Connecting Communities Toolkit" (free registration required) which contains materials targeted for supporting health information exchange.
Government Health ITContains materials on Government and HIT, including news and resources on policy, technology, financing, and technical standards.
Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)Membership organization promoting optimal use of HIT and management systems. Site contains resources organized around numerous topics (such as Electronic Health Records and E-Prescribing), a guide on handheld devices, an EHR selection tool for physician practices ($ required), and information on HIT news, conferences, and publications.
International Society for Mental Health Online (ISMHO)Non-profit society whose mission is to promote the understanding, use, and development of online communication, information and technology for the international mental health community. Site contains white papers, relevant news articles, and resources.
Medical Records Institute (MRI)Promotes EHRs and HIT by conducting EHR conferences and seminars, supporting work groups, etc.
National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT)Partnership of healthcare industry leaders with the mission of promoting adoption and implementation of HIT. Contains a directory of technical standards (free registration required), links to articles, and a list of activities.
Physicians' Electronic Health Record Coalition (PEHRC)Coalition of Physicians' organizations with the mission to assist physicians, particularly those in small- and medium-sized practices, to acquire and use EHRs. APA is a member of this group and representatives attend bimonthly meetings.
Electronic Prescribing (eRx)
"A Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing”
A comprehensive, multi-stakeholder-informed “how-to” guide to help clinicians make informed decisions about how and when to transition from paper to electronic prescribing systems.
CMS Website on E-Prescribing
Information on e-prescribing and incentive initiatives
GetRxConnected
Information on eRx and selecting eRx technology for your practice
Publications and Articles"Connections" Psychiatric News Health Information Technology column by Dr. John Luo
"E-Prescribing Seems Inevitable But Reception Is Mixed"Psychiatric News Psychiatric News article (April 21, 2006) on e-prescribing
"EHR Implementation: a step-by-step guide for the medical practice"Book published by the AMA with resources for selecting, purchasing, and implementing an EHR.
"Electronic Health Records: Can Promise Be Fulfilled?"
Psychiatric News article (September 16, 2005) on the current state of the EHR movement
iHealthBeat
A daily news digest reporting on the Internet's impact on health care
"Top Five Healthcare IT Stories of 2005"Lists 5 significant HIT developments from 2005
HIT Definitions
Health Information Technology terminology evolves as rapidly as the movement itself. Below are the links to some glossaries.
Office of the National Coordination for Health Information Technology (HHS)
American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) EMR Consultant APA Generated Materials
EHR ScenarioScenario generated by the APA Corresponding Committee on EHR distributed to EHR vendors exhibiting at the 2007 APA Annual Meeting in San Diego for use in demonstrations.
Have other resources to recommend? Please let us know at qips@psych.org.