Insight Matters
Summer, 2002

Electronics Prove to Be Efficient Tools for Professional Practice
by Marion Sherman, M.D., Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Electronics in Medicine

Just as the microwave, garage door opener, and fax slipped into our lives, electronics continue to become vital to the success of the psychiatrist. Providing communication, education, instruction, billing income, and follow-up are now routine. HIPAA, once an unknown acronym, now trods openly toward the deadline of April 2003, as electronics efforts scramble to create systems to ensure confidentiality of patient information. Email has opened up new efficiencies not possible previously. For those of you who do not yet have email: perhaps now is the time. Unfortunately, as with many timesaving devices, we often fail to capture that "saved" time for quality life issues. For these reasons, even with advances in personal electronics skills and resources, management of priorities remains paramount. Keeping the above in mind, the OPA Electronics Committee stands ready to encourage and promote efficiencies gained through use of electronics in professional practice.

The first year of the OPA Electronics Committee has been completed, and members have agreed to continue development of the OPA electronics resource internally and externally. The committee will continue to work toward the goals and objectives established in the first year, listed below, with their current updated status:

Goal I: Establish leadership and membership for the OPA Electronics Committee.

Update: Goal I has been met.

Goal II: Establish Internal OPA Electronic Structure:

Objectives:
1. Provide information and assistance to OPA members. Status: Ongoing
2. Provide computer literacy assistance for OPA members. Status: Ongoing
3. Encourage all OPA members to get email addresses, and keep OPA informed of address changes. Status: Ongoing
4. Consider collaboration with large vender for member service provider discount. Status: Held
5. Inservice members regarding relevant electronics issues. Status: Plan to survey OPA
6. Collaborate with OPA program chair re future electronics. Status: In Process
7. Consider demo computers for email and web use at OPA meetings. Status: In Process
8. Determine what other OPA committees' electronic needs are not currently being met. Status: Plan to survey OPA

Goal III: Establish External OPA Collaboration for linkage needs.

Objectives:
1. Collaborate re electronics linkage with APA, other psychiatry, OSMA, AMA, Media, public general assistance, and information. Status: Ongoing
2. Collaborate with medical training/psychiatry training to promote electronics in training curriculums. Status: Use OPA linkage to promote concept.

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