TMA Preserves Technology’s “Human Element” with New EHR, AI Policies
By Alisa Pierce

For every eight hours that physicians spend with patients, they spend more than five hours working on electronic health record (EHR) tasks – a startling reality the Texas Medical Association aims to improve with new policy adopted at TexMed, alongside other efforts to increase physician oversight of augmented intelligence (AI).

With unanimous support from TMA members, the association’s House of Delegates (HOD) adopted policy advocating for the acceptance of EHR-generated health care forms – such as school and camp physicals and other state and federal forms – to eradicate lengthy manual processes and unnecessary expenses placed upon physician practices.  

The new policy argues that with 91% of physicians using an EHR, and with school districts across Texas requiring different documents for every patient, all forms should be permitted to be produced electronically, so long as the EHR-generated form has all the information required by the requesting entity.  

The policy was spearheaded by Dallas pediatrician Philip Bernard, MD, chair of the newly named Committee on Health Information Technology and Augmented Intelligence – a change also adopted by HOD. He’s witnessed firsthand the burdensome impact of excessive, manual documentation not integrated into the EHR and heard testimony from physicians who responded to TMA’s biennial Health Information Technology (HIT) Survey. 

Over half of respondents (69%) agreed EHR technology negatively impacts patient care by interfering with physicians’ attentiveness to patients. 

“With no way to produce health care forms electronically, physicians and their staff are spending thousands of hours on this task,” Dr. Bernard told Texas Medicine Today. “Through this policy change, we’re focusing on how to use the EHR to embrace the wins that come from technology, not to increase our documentation demands or cognitive burden.” 

The house also adopted policy to rename its Committee on HIT to include augmented intelligence in its title – a change Dr. Bernard says was made to aid the association’s efforts to study the ever-evolving influence of AI on physician practices. 

“How do physicians use AI in their practice? Does it help with administrative burden? Are there setbacks? These are a few questions the committee aims to answer,” he said. “I will say, AI has been truly transformative for many of my colleagues swamped with electronic responsibilities.” 

The committee’s new emphasis on studying the technology accompanies TMA’s long-held assertion that “AI requires physician oversight,” Dr. Bernard said. In that vein, TMA’s HOD also amended its existing AI policy to reaffirm what Dr. Bernard calls the “human element” of AI use.  

“Physicians must retain final authority over whether to accept AI-generated guidance. Augmented intelligence must not compromise physician autonomy,” the policy strongly states. 

The new policy that changed the committee’s name also aims to: 

• Promote the safe and effective use of technology that supports practice efficiency, quality improvement activities, and management of population health while reducing physician burden;  

• Monitor and influence state and federal laws, regulations, and programs impacting physician and patient use of technology, including AI; 

•  Develop association policy related to health technology and AI;  

• Collaborate with other professional organizations and governmental agencies working on health technology and AI issues and serve as the association’s voice and advocate; and 

• Oversee development of HIT and AI education and resources for physicians. 

For more information, visit TMA’s comprehensive HIT and AI webpages.