This post was authored by Dino Damalas, chief information officer of the ACC.

It’s no secret that technology is playing an ever increasing role in our daily life.  A study conducted by manhattanResearch in 2011 indicated smartphone penetration has reached 81 percent in the physician community and the reliance on these devices to connect with colleagues, search for treatment options, and stay informed is skyrocketing.  Cardiovascular professionals have always been on the leading edge of technology adoption, but is the College effectively leveraging technology to better deliver tools, services, and knowledge assets to help our members deliver better care?

This was the question at hand during a recent workshop that brought together College leaders, a representative group of members from around the country, patients and ACC executive staff. As part of a larger digital strategy discussion taking place across the College, the focus of the workshop was to develop a true understanding of the issues, challenges, and needs faced by cardiovascular professionals.

Workshop participants were presented with data from more than 70 individual interviews, shadowing exercises conducted at member practices, and a wealth of secondary research and were able to get an inside look at the behaviors, needs, and challenges related to use of digital technologies. This data was then used to develop a comprehensive user needs model based on several member segments that was then used to facilitate discussions around the many ways the ACC could leverage technology to deliver tools and services.

The workshop was eye-opening and the exercises enriched a collective understanding of how to better serve the cardiovascular community.  Moving forward there is still much more to do in order to move the concepts identified at the meeting from ideas to reality. The next step is to develop a comprehensive digital strategy and outline a roadmap that will help us move forward in meeting member needs in the digital future. What was also clear during this event – envisioning the future through technology is not a singular event.  Technology changes rapidly and so must the College. Leveraging the latest technology to bring the best possible science and education to our members, when they need it, where they need it is as core to our mission as developing practice guidelines.

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