ATA (American Telemedicine Association) News

The American Telemedicine Association is the leading resource and advocate promoting access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology. ATA seeks to bring together diverse groups from traditional medicine, academic medical centers, technology and telecommunications companies, e-health, medical societies, government and others to overcome barriers to the advancement of telemedicine through the professional, ethical and equitable improvement in health care delivery.

Established in 1993 as a non-profit organization and headquartered in Washington, DC, membership in the Association is open to individuals, companies and other organizations with an interest in promoting the deployment of telemedicine throughout the world.

ATA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the Association's membership.  ATA provides a broad range of services for its members and the industry as a whole.

Contact the American Telemedicine Association at 202-223-3333 or info@americantelemed.org.

ATA 2008 Adds New Forum for Medical Call Centers (Apr 08)

The American Telemedicine Association's 13^th Annual International Meeting and Exposition will be held April 6-8, 2008 in Seattle, Washington.  On Sunday, April 6^th, ATA, in conjunction with AnswerStat magazine, will host a special forum entitled The Medical Call Centers' Role in Telemedicine.  It will focus on issues related to establishing and managing medical or nursing call centers, including operation, financing, staffing, and their relationship to telemedicine and telehealth programs.

The course is structured to include expert panel presentations and discussion with considerable opportunities for audience questions and participation.  Specific topics to be covered and presenters will include:

• From Telephones to Telemedicine and Beyond: Dr. Peter Dehnel, medical director, Children's Physician Network

• The Evolution of Telehealth Services: An International Perspective: Lois Scott, vice president, McKesson Canada

• Decision Support Software for Healthcare Contact Centers: Marlene Grasser, LVM Systems Inc.

• Legal, Regulatory & Licensure Compliance for a Successful Medical Call Center: Carol Stock, JD, RN, principal, Carol M. Stock and Associates

This ATA forum is ideal for those interested in learning more about telemedicine call centers.

ATA to Address Call Centers at Annual Meeting (Dec 07)

At the ATA's (American Telemedicine Association) 2008 annual meeting and convention, there will be a special one-day event to specifically address "The Role of Call Centers in Telemedicine."  It will be co-sponsored with AnswerStat magazine.  This unprecedented session will provide telemedicine practitioners and companies with ideas, insights, and input on how to expand their telemedicine offerings to encompass call center services.  This can allow them to diversify, enabling then to better serve clients and to more fully utilize their existing infrastructure.

Most speakers have been confirmed for the following topics:

• The Right Way to Call Center Management
• Home Based Agents: An Answer to Staff Shortages
• Quality, Accuracy, and Consistency
• HIPAA in Your Call Center
• More Than an Answering Service
• Cost Center or Profit Center: Getting Paid for What You Do

Billed as "The World's Largest Scientific Meeting and Trade Show Focusing Exclusively on Telemedicine," the 2008 event will be held at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, WA on April 6-8, 2008.  Over 2,000 attendees are expected.  Continuing education credits are offered through the University of South Florida.