PITO has caught up with the initial influx of applications from its first year of operation. As of 31 March, more than 1300 physicians had been accepted; however, 550 physicians had applied but not yet been selected to begin EMR implementation. As of 1 April, all physicians who have applied have been accommodated, bringing the total to over 1900. The latest 550 physicians will receive an e-mail confirmation and a follow-up phone call from the PITO office to begin pre-implementation planning. If you do not receive a letter or would like to enquire about your enrolment status, please contact your local relationship manager or contact the PITO office at 604 638-2946 or info@pito.bc.ca [8].

Applications are open to physicians on a year-round basis. With the spring enrolment full, physicians applying now will be eligible for the October 2009 to April 2010 enrolment period. The online application form is available at www.pito.bc.ca/Stages/Apply.htm [9].

If you’re a specialist, you should know that PITO has worked with specialists from across the province to complete an extensive validation of specialist requirements for information technology and EMRs. In addition to supporting individual clinics, PITO is assisting regional groups of specialists who choose to work together to meet their needs better as a collective group than is possible individually. The most active so far have been rheumatologists and ophthal­mologists. Please contact the PITO office at 604 638-2946 or info@pito.bc.ca [8] if you would like to discuss the opportunity to work together as a specialty, or to find out if other physicians from your specialty are already engaged in such planning.