Rehan Ahmed, MD, one of the Texas Medical Association’s 10 new expert consultants on augmented and artificial intelligence (AI), gave a CME presentation on the potential benefits of AI in health care at TMA’s 2024 Business of Medicine Conference, which took place October in San Antonio.
“The value of AI is to solve problems,” the Houston ophthalmologist said during the event. “It’s not going to be that AI replaces doctors. It’s doctors who use AI that will replace doctors who do not.”
Recognizing the potential of AI to significantly impact health care, TMA
recently added the consultants to its Committee on Health Information Technology (HIT).
These members also are tasked with evaluating the use and benefits of AI in patient care and analyzing the challenges and implications of implementing and using the technology in medicine, among other topics. They’ll additionally be tasked with developing resources to be featured on TMA’s
new AI webpage, including policies, procedures, and tools to help physicians evaluate AI vendors and products.
TMA’s HIT Committee stands among
nine councils and 18 standing committees that channel physician expertise to influence policy and programs that support Texas patients and physicians and provide solutions to the challenges they encounter.
Committees comprise about nine members and can have additional consultants, while council membership can range up to about 20 participants. Council and committee members are tasked with multiple responsibilities, from advocacy to education. Their general responsibilities include:
- Reviewing TMA policy within their specific subject area;
- Identifying critical issues and providing recommendations;
- Responding to House of Delegates, the association’s policymaking body, resolutions whether by developing new resources, advocating, or researching a specific topic;
- Producing educational programs;
- Contributing to TMA communication and outreach;
- Mentoring the next generation of physicians (student, resident, and fellow members); and
- Providing legislative testimony.
The groups convene to discuss action items throughout the year and during TMA’s seasonal and annual conferences. During TexMed, TMA’s House of Delegates directly relies on its councils and committees to help shape TMA policy, which in turn gives the association the direction it needs to carry out its advocacy at the state and federal levels.
For example, the Committee on HIT was tasked with helping TMA develop its AI policy, adopted in 2022. The policy outlines that augmented intelligence should be used as an enhancement aid when appropriate and defer to physician knowledge.
While many Texas physicians are concerned about how AI will affect their practices, others like Houston neurologist Kimberly Monday, MD, are equally excited about how the technology could reduce administrative headaches, like so-called “pajama time,” or time spent after hours on electronic health record tasks or paperwork.
“I’m a big advocate of using AI for tasks that are secretarial,” the TMA Board of Trustees member and newly appointed AI consultant said. “There is excitement about what AI can do to save [time] and overhead, or in terms of scheduling, prior authorization, and note-taking.”
Alisa Pierce
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1469