Key Resolutions Await AMA Delegates
Studying the effect of on-site medical clinics on employee benefits and continuously evaluating limits on residents' hours are proposed in two resolutions to be considered at the House of Delegates 2012 Annual Meeting.
The 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates will open June 16 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. By the time the policy-making meeting adjourns by noon June 20, the delegates will have considered a pile of resolutions, including one from the California Delegation asking AMA to form a task force to address coordination issues among existing medical disaster response teams and plans.
Perhaps even more significant to hospitals and to employers generally are these two resolutions:
- The Medical Student Section introduced one calling for AMA to study the effect of on-site medical clinics on employee benefits and to develop guidelines for these employer-sponsored clinics operation, ensuring that employees’ privacy, safety, and access to preventive care aren't compromised.
- The Illinois Delegation filed another resolution concerning the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's policy on residents' work hours. Hour limits have not been proven to be effective, "have created serious concerns regarding adequate training of residents," and "have created other serious patient safety concerns related to availability, hand-off communications, and continuity of care," Resolution 318 states. It would call on AMA to make a rigorous, ongoing evaluation of the policy and to encourage adoption of work hour standards that are practical and meet patients' and providers' needs.
The preliminary schedule is online at www.ama-assn.org/go/annual2012 along with other meeting information. Hundreds of physicians and medical students will participate. AMA members have been invited to provide online comments ahead of the meeting.