The American Medical Association (AMA) has voted at its annual meeting to adopt a new policy supporting the creation of best practices to guide the development and use of mobile medical apps. The organization is also calling for a grace period for implementing the ICD-10 coding guidelines.
In a statement, AMA board member Dr. Gerald Harmon said that AMA is committed to working with stakeholders to support the development of new technologies that help physicians take better care of their patients and help patients become more engaged in their healthcare. The new policy on mobile medical apps builds upon existing AMA efforts such as its partnership with the Matter incubator, its work with Healtheway and Carequality, and the association's efforts to increase the appropriate use of telemedicine technologies, AMA said.
In another policy, AMA is seeking a two-year grace period for the implementation of ICD-10. During this two-year period, physicians would not be penalized for errors, mistakes, and/or malfunctions of the system, according to the organization. AMA is also advocating that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services create hardship exemptions for those physicians whose billing software or claims processing clearinghouses are unable to make a smooth transition.
