The 2016 AMA Annual Meeting took place this week. Read these highlights from the meeting, and see AMA Wire's® full coverage of the event to learn more.
Code of Medical Ethics modernized for first time in 50 years
Physicians have just affirmed a comprehensive update of the nearly 170-year-old AMA Code of Medical Ethics, the conclusion of a meticulous project started eight years ago to ensure that this ethical guidance keeps pace with the demands of the changing world of medical practice.
Bright future on the horizon—and we know the path to get there Physicians live in a world of contradictions, outgoing AMA President Steven J. Stack, MD, said in his address. It’s a profession of rewards and privilege amid the toll of frustration and burnout, borne of administrative hassles and bureaucratic overreach. The challenge is to persevere and lead the way for others.
AMA calls for gun research, background checks to prevent violence
Calling gun violence a “public health crisis,” the AMA is urging background checks and a waiting period for all firearms purchasers and will lobby Congress to overturn legislation that for 20 years has prevented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from researching gun violence.
Ethical considerations prompt new telemedicine ground rules With the increasing use of telemedicine and telehealth technologies, delegates adopted new policy that outlines ethical ground rules for physicians using these technologies to treat patients.
Physicians are guiding new payment system, CMS chief says In the effort to design the new Medicare payment system, Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), said that the driving factor behind many of the changes was physician input. But the physician’s role does not stop there.
11 new AMA policies your patients should know
At the heart of policymaking of the AMA is the mission to promote the betterment of public health. Physicians adopted policies that will help improve consumer safety and reduce harm—they range from preventing drug overdose to delaying school start times and supporting paid sick leave.
If you’re sitting on the sidelines, get involved Andrew W. Gurman, MD, in his inaugural speech as president of the AMA, issued a call to action for physicians to be leaders and advocates for their profession.
How physicians are making EHRs interoperable Electronic health records (EHR) have consistently caused problems for physicians due to a lack of interoperability. Physicians and health IT developers explained how physicians must lead—and are leading—the way forward.
Digital dystopia: Developing tools that work in practice 
Identifying the technology that makes care less efficient and building new tools that are based on physician perspectives from the start are critical to developing a digital practice environment that works for physicians and patients, AMA Executive Vice President and CEO James L. Madara, MD, said.
Physicians take steps to address opioid overdose epidemic The physician role in reducing opioid medication misuse, overdose and death is an important one. New policies address factors that are critical to reversing the epidemic, including prescription drug monitoring programs, access to naloxone and addiction medicine as a sub-specialty.
