He also serves as Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and Associate Medical Director of the Ambulatory Electronic Health Record at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Fischer teaches medical ethics and doctorpatient communication to medical students, residents and clinical fellows, and practicing health care professionals. His 2011–2012 Annual Report Page 4 current research interests include the effect of electronic communication between patients and physicians on health issues and the doctor-patient relationship, and ethical issues in quality improvement work.