We are pleased to welcome you to our new PITO website, designed to help you find all the information you need on PITO programs and processes.
The BC Medical Association, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner have jointly published an extensive update to the useful "BC Privacy Toolkit for Physicians".
Two changes have been recently been posted to the PITO Policies as Version 1.3, including a new funding policy related to underserved rural/remote clinics and removal of the Core Data Set.
Dr. James Lai's survey results have been published in the BC Medical Journal (BCMJ).
With the third regular enrolment complete, almost 2,000 physicians are now enrolled. This is 500 ahead of schedule and almost half of the target of 4,000 to 4,200 by March 2012.
The new federal budget has brought new provisions for tax savings for IT purchases by physicians
Dr. Jeff Harries was interviewed today by Dr. Alan Brookstone on CanadianEMR regarding the Community of Practice (CoP) model he and his peers are taking to EMR adoption in the South Okanagan.
Vendor conformance testing completed as scheduled on December 11, 2008. Five vendors successfully completed the process. Physicians using or adopting these EMRs are eligible for reimbursement through PITO.
PITO Local Physician Champions are establishing local user groups for communication and collaboration to assist in EMR adoption and maximizing your EMR investment.
PITO is hosting a series of information sessions and vendor demonstrations this Fall for physicians interested in adopting an EMR.
The second PITO application period (August 15 - September 26) has now closed. The selection process will now be completed for those beginning implementations October 1 - March 31.
Physicians can apply online between August 15 and September 26 for implementations starting between October and March.
The BCMA has prepared an update and overview regarding privacy in the electronic environment for BC physicians.
The first vendor completed conformance testing in March and four more are going through the process in August and September.
The first round of EMR implementations through PITO are now "going live".
The first EMR vendor has completed conformance testing from amongst the six selected for PITO, making that vendor the first to be "PITO-Qualified".
The five PITO pilot projects are proceeding well, fully testing the PITO offering before the broad implementations begin.
Applications for the first PITO enrollment (April - September) have now closed. Applications for the next enrollment period (October - March) will open in late summer.
Applications for the first PITO enrollment (April - September) are now open via online form. Applications are open February 1 - March 14. Applications remain open for Early Adopters and Pre-Purchase.
With contracts now in place for the EMR and network suppliers, PITO has laid out the schedule for 2008. The PITO Pilot groups will implement between March and July. While the Pilot groups implement, the first wave of practices in the "rollout" will begin their pre-implementation planning to be ready for implementations July - September.
Six successful proponents under the EMR Request for Proposals (RFP) signed contracts with the BC Government today. They must now complete the last step, conformance testing, in order to become "PITO Qualified". This is an important milestone in preparing for the launch of the PITO program.
Physician leadership and peer communication have proven to be important contributors to successful physician adoption of technology. PITO is inviting BC physicians to express interest in becoming local physician champions for EMR and information technology.
The PITO Steering Committee has approved the 3 primary PITO funding programs: Implementation & Transition Support Program, Early Adopter Program, and Pre-purchase Program.
PITO is providing funding support for a survey of BC physician IT adoption, experiences, and use. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey.
The five PITO Pilot groups have been selected. These five groups of BC physicians will be the first to implement electronic medical records through the PITO program, paving the way for the province-wide implementation starting in 2008.
The PITO office is now furnished and connected with phones and email. Please drop by to ask questions, seek advice, or meet the team.
The EMR procurement selection process completed as scheduled with announcement of the successful proponents on July 12th, 2007. The six successful proponents must now successfully complete contract negotiations and conformance testing before being "PITO Qualified".