Medem, the secure online physician network founded by the American Medical Association (AMA) and various medical specialty societies, has announced the addition of Texas Medical Association (TMA), the nation's largest state medical society, to its roster of medical society participants.

TMA is the 30th medical society to partner with Medem, an online healthcare network delivering secure physician office communications and integrated practice Web sites, which feature healthcare information from the nation's medical societies. A recent national survey of physicians from the nation's leading medical societies identified a doubling of physician Web sites and a tripling of physician office-to-patient e-mail use in the past year.

``We are pleased to be able to offer our member physicians this important new benefit through the Medem network,'' said TMA President Jim Rohack, MD. ``The Internet is an integral part of the 21st century medical practice." Physicians who attended TexMed 2001 in Houston last week were introduced to Medem's tools and services.

Medem's agreement with TMA enables their membership of more than 29,000 physicians to enhance their practices' presence online, and maintain and expand their patient base. A growing number of health plans are pointing their physician-finders to physician practice sites on the Medem system, increasing members' exposure to new insured patients at the time that they are choosing a physician. And through Medem's services, TMA will be able to provide members with online access to current clinical information as well as integrated secure messaging.

``We are very pleased that the Texas Medical Association has joined with Medem,'' said H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, Chair of Medem's Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. ``Together we will advance the goal of offering patients access to the nation's most trusted and credible healthcare information as well as enhanced and convenient online physician-patient communication.''