ONLINE SECURITY: AMA Considers Digital ID Cards

      A digital identification card developed by Intel Corp. and the American Medical Association could help protect confidential medical information exchanged between doctors and patients over the Internet, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The AMA Secure ID project would give doctors an "online certificate" to accurately identify them over the Internet. The AMA's participation in the digital program is one of "several steps" the organization is taking to respond to the rising demand for Internet-based medicine. At its annual meeting this week, the AMA plans to vote on an international code of ethics for Web-based health care. The organization also will begin establishing an evaluation system for medical Web sites. And the AMA will sponsor an Internet tool to assist doctors in creating their own Web sites. The tool, called Your Practice Online, is produced by Medem, an eHealth network founded by the AMA and other medical societies. According to a recent Medem survey, in the last nine months, the number of doctors building Web sites for their practices has doubled to more than 50%, yet only about 10% use email regularly to communicate with their patients (Beaupre, 6/13).