In early 1992, the first edition of the book, The Physician-Computer Connection: A Practical Guide to Physician Involvement in Hospital Information Systems was published, and a few months later, the first Physician-Computer Connection Symposium attracted a few dozen IT-focused physicians to a conference center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Each year’s meeting attracted more physicians, and in 1996, at the fifth annual symposium, a suggestion was made to allow the attendees to continue and promote their collegial relationships, not only at the summer symposium, but throughout the year.

AMDIS was organized shortly thereafter as the professional organization for physicians responsible for and/or interested in the use of information technology in the practice of medicine. In the beginning, very few people had the title of medical director of information systems; most were part time, perhaps chair of a committee—but today, the CMIO movement is exciting and dynamic. If membership growth is a reflection of the field, then the CMIO is one of the most sought-after executives in healthcare today. Finally!

In 2003, AMDIS and HIMSS produced the first Physician IT Symposium at the HIMSS Annual Conference. This year, the symposium is on Sunday, February 28, and the theme is “What It Means to Be a Meaningful User.” The program features a presentation from the ONC Office of Health Information Technology Adoption examining current national healthcare policy in quality/safety and information technology. It also addresses malpractice liability issues in the use of EHRs, PHRs and HIEs.

Learning Modules include Clinical Decision Support for achieving meaningful use objectives; Patient Privacy protection; Clinical Information Exchange; and Protecting the Public’s Health.

Wrapping up the Physician IT Symposium day will be Bill Bria, MD, AMDIS president, who will facilitate an open discussion about the earlier presentations and the ongoing work of AMDIS and HIMSS members relating to the proposed federal rules and regulations.

Physicians who plan to attend the HIMSS Annual Conference on March 1-4 also are invited to join the AMDIS Roundtable on Tuesday, March 2, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in meeting room B408. Each year at HIMSS, AMDIS members get together to “post mortem” the Physician IT Symposium, discuss hot topics and current events, and plan the upcoming 19th Annual Physician-Computer Connection Symposium (July 13-16 at the Ojai Valley Inn, Ojai, Calif.).  Physician members as well as non-members are invited to attend and participate in the lively meeting.

See you in Atlanta.