14 Nov 2006

Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust has become the first UK trust to install a second generation Electronic Prescribing and Medication Administration system, developed by JAC Computer Services.

The 450-bed Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester is thought to be first UK hospital trust to replace an existing EPMA with a next generation system, a move that required a 'big bang' implementation across the trust. 

The EPMA system manages the entire cycle of medication management from prescribing, clinical verification and supply, to bed side nurse administration. Ward based staff use mobile computers on the trust’s wireless network to prescribe and administer medicines at the bedside.

EPMA went live across the Royal Hampshire County Hospital between 11 and 15 September. It integrates with the trust's existing JAC Pharmacy Management module to provide a fully integrated Medication Management solution.

Robert Tysall-Blay, chief executive of JAC Computer Services, told E-Health Insider: "JAC's prescribing and medicines administration system is fully integrated with JAC's pharmacy stock control management system and provides a single seamless system."  

The new system also incorporates decision support from First Data Bank Europe (FDBE) providing real-time alerts for potential medical errors due to allergies and drug interactions.

The trust is due to receive a Release Zero Cerner Millennium clinical system implemented by Fujitsu as part of the NHS National Programme for IT. The Millennium system is understood to include electronic prescribing as one of its core clinical components, but not as part of Release Zero. 

Winchester has long been one of a handful of NHS hospital trusts actually operating electronic prescribing. The trust was one of a handful of Hospital Information System pilots dating back to the late 80's – together with Wirral and Burton – which implemented TDS and Meditch systems incorporated electronic prescribing.

"The significance of this implementation is that it is the first ever implementation of a second generation electronic prescribing system," said Tysall-Blay.

He told EHI that in some ways this was easier than implementing e-prescribing from scratch as staff were already familiar with using computers for prescribing, but also more difficult as it required a big bang switch over and you couldn't start with pilots in a few wards and build up. "With the trust we did the whole implementation in five days."

So far the Royal Hampshire County Hospital and Hampshire Partner NHS Trust are are using the system with Andover County Hospital to follow.

Peter Knight, managing director of clinical support and asset management at Winchester said: “Having been a long term user of electronic prescribing we are acutely aware of the importance of these systems."

Knight added: "The new system uses mobile terminals to facilitate on-line prescribing and drug administration which will further help our clinical staff in the complex world of medication management."

Deployment of the EPMA took six months from contract signature to go-live and staff have taken to the new system well.

Joyce Bould, clinical lead at Winchester added: “We have been delighted at the acceptance of the JAC Prescribing and Administration system by our staff. They find the system easy to use, and like the screen design because so much information can be seen at once. Clinically, this system gives us what we have wanted for years – prescribing charts on screen, clinical checking, and quick and easy access to patient information.

“Staff are able to use the system effectively after a relatively short training session. Winchester already used electronic prescribing, so we had to go for a ‘big bang’ strategy for our implementation – and run with two electronic systems for as short a time as possible.”

Tysall-Blay added: “Winchester was the first hospital in the UK to implement electronic prescribing, and the uniqueness of Winchester in now being the first site in the UK to replace an existing electronic prescribing system should not go unrecognised.”

Links

JAC Computer Services Ltd

© 2006 E-HEALTH-MEDIA LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

IBM to Manage Critical Apps Hosting for Achieve Healthcare Technologies

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 11/17/06 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) will manage hosted applications for Achieve Healthcare Technologies, which provides clinical and financial software systems to the eldercare industry.

Last quarter, Achieve picked IBM to manage hosting for their end-to-end applications and improve reliability, flexibility and increase system access for its clients.

Achieve's business requires it to provide customers with continuous access to applications and services like Web-based tools that help reduce medical errors, falls and hospitalization rates, while increasing reimbursements and staff time with residents. Through its products and services, Achieve helps remedy long-term care challenges with electronic health records, point of care, enterprise reporting and IT services.

"Nearly 3,000 eldercare facilities around the country rely on us to manage everything from their financial management systems to their electronic medical records," said Mark Tomzak, Achieve's vice president of sales, marketing, alliances and professional services. "By having IBM manage many of our core electronic-business processes around hosting, we can further assure our customers that they will have uninterrupted access to their business-critical applications backed by the industrial strength of IBM."

With a staff of less than 200 people, Achieve strives to focus on software development and deployment. By partnering with IBM, Achieve gains the ability to focus on that core competency and can shift the responsibility of managing the different environments to IBM. The arrangement provides Achieve with:

--  A flexible, scalable and reliable hosting environment to host both
    production and test environments;
--  A phased approach to implementing Achieve's environment and data
    center consolidation on Achieve's four data centers migrating customers to
    IBM hosting environment;
--  Extensive network, server, database, and application monitoring;
--  Storage on demand and offsite tape storage for long term archiving.
    

Under the IBM services agreement, Achieve's applications will be hosted on IBM System x servers and will provide Achieve and their clients with increased security, data protection, availability and performance. In addition, Achieve can more easily grow their IT infrastructure on an as-needed basis without having to concern themselves with the costs associated with purchasing additional hardware and storage devices.

About Achieve Healthcare Technologies:

Achieve Healthcare Technologies provides software systems and services to approximately 2,800 long-term care facilities nationwide. Its flagship product, Achieve Matrix is fully integrated, Web-based clinical and financial software that helps remedy long-term care challenges through highly evolved traditional functionality, such as one-button MDS transmission, electronic billing, automated flow sheets and care plan templates. In addition, Achieve Matrix offers features, such as electronic health records capabilities, mobile resident charting technology and corporate reports and dashboards. In an effort to streamline communications between caregivers, physicians and pharmacies, Achieve is piloting an e-prescribing functionality with several long-term care organizations. Achieve also formed LTC Technology Services -- a division of Achieve that aims to complement a facility's current technology infrastructure. For more information, please visit www.achievehealthcare.com

About IBM:

For more information about IBM, please visit www.ibm.com

Media Contacts:
Jay Cadmus
IBM
jcadmus@us.ibm.com
914-642-6219

Jodie Davis
Achieve Healthcare Technologies
Jodie.Davis@achievehealthcare.com
952-995-9083

© 2006 SYS-CON Media Inc.

HIT Perspectives: Guess the IRS Didn't Get The Memo.

Donato J. Tramuto Joins Physicians Interactive
Thursday November 16, 9:41 am ET 27-Year Healthcare Veteran and Former CEO of i3 Named President of Allscripts Physician Interactive Business Group

Source: Allscripts

SureScripts(R) Announces New Certification Status to Recognize Physician Software and Service Providers Most Committed to Healthcare Interoperability

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 14, 2006 -- SureScripts today announced a new certification status designed to recognize physician software and service providers that are truly advancing electronic prescribing and healthcare interoperability in the United States. SureScripts GoldRx™ certification status will be granted to electronic medical record (EMR) and e-prescribing solutions that not only have been tested and marketed as e-prescribing capable, but have a proven track record with pharmacy interoperability.

GoldRx status mandates that physician software and service providers meet a number of benchmarks for "live" customer deployments -- with new physician users and within a technology provider's existing install base. GoldRx certification also requires technology providers to implement changes to product workflow based on feedback and best practices from physicians at hundreds of practices around the country. Supporting certifications for medication history (from community pharmacy) and formulary and eligibility information (from SureScripts-certified payers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)) are also mandatory.

SureScripts will grant its first GoldRx certifications on February 27, 2007. On that day, CEOs from each organization receiving GoldRx product certification will join other healthcare leaders from across the nation at a press conference announcing the GoldRx honorees and the winners of the 2007 SafeRx™ awards.* The event will coincide with the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in New Orleans.

"Granting physician software and service providers a uniform certification for pharmacy interoperability is no longer adequate," said Kevin Hutchinson, president and CEO of SureScripts. "SureScripts and many health IT experts believe that the electronic link between a physician and a pharmacist is the most critical and the most achievable first step toward broader healthcare interoperability. In an effort to separate the promise of automation from actual implementation, SureScripts GoldRx certification will now spotlight which software vendors have taken the appropriate and necessary steps to connect physicians and pharmacists in communities across the nation. For physicians making an investment in the safety of their patients, the efficiency of their practice and the quality of their own clinical decision-making, GoldRx certification will help them know which software vendors are actually delivering on pharmacy interoperability and other critical levels of automation."

Over the past two years, SureScripts has tested and certified the applications of every major e-prescribing and electronic medical record (EMR) vendor in the U.S. More than 70 technology providers -- representing over 150,000 existing physician users -- have contracted with SureScripts to enable their software and services to exchange prescription information with local pharmacies. Clinics and physicians that use SureScripts Certified Solutions™ have the ability to connect to the pharmacy industry and, as a result, have an unprecedented ability to improve the prescribing process. (Physicians can go to www.surescripts.com to check an EMR or e-prescribing vendor's pharmacy interoperability status.)

Today, however, the vast majority of these 150,000 physicians are still using older versions of their vendor's software -- versions that have no electronic connection with pharmacy. The result: new prescriptions are sent and received by fax; refill requests are processed by phone and fax; patient medication history from community pharmacy is unavailable; and there is incomplete patient formulary and eligibility information. GoldRx certification gives special status to those vendors who find this situation unacceptable -- and are doing something about it.

As such, the criteria for SureScripts GoldRx certification status focuses less on product compliance with technical standards and much more on benchmarks that signal a vendor's commitment to interoperability, customer support and successful customer implementations:

--  Customer Education - GoldRx companies must spend a defined amount of
    resources raising awareness among their physician customers of the
    opportunity to communicate new prescription and refill information with
    pharmacists electronically.
    
--  Proven Pharmacy Interoperability - GoldRx companies must make pharmacy
    interoperability part of every new client installation and add or upgrade a
    specified number of physicians to the SureScripts network.
    
--  Pharmacy Health Information Exchange - GoldRx vendors must enable
    their application to receive medication history from community pharmacy and
    formulary/eligibility services from the payers and PBMs certified by
    SureScripts.
    
--  Workflow Enhancements and Customer Support - An organization receiving
    GoldRx product certification has committed to continually improve the
    quality of the prescribing process through execution of a mutual agreement
    that outlines specific service level commitments related to operations of
    the SureScripts network.
    

SureScripts is already working with vendors on pursuing the steps necessary to qualify for GoldRx certification. Technology providers seeking more information about GoldRx certification can contact Mary Martin at 703-921-5221 or mary.martin@surescripts.com.

* Sponsored by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and SureScripts®, the SafeRx award goes to each of the top 10 e-prescribing states in the nation and to physicians who have demonstrated outstanding leadership through their use of e-prescribing technology.

About SureScripts

SureScripts®, the largest network provider of electronic prescribing services, is committed to building relationships within the health care community and working collaboratively with key industry stakeholders and organizations to improve the safety, efficiency and quality of health care by improving the overall prescribing process. At the core of this improvement effort is the SureScripts Electronic Prescribing Network™, a health care infrastructure which establishes electronic communications between pharmacists and physicians and enables the two-way electronic exchange of prescription information. Today, more than 90 percent of all pharmacies in the United States are certified on the SureScripts network. More information about SureScripts is available at www.surescripts.com.

SureScripts Contact:
Rob Cronin
917-414-5289
rob.cronin@surescripts.com

SOURCE:  SureScripts

SureScripts(R) Announces New Certification Status to Recognize Physician Software and Service Providers Most Committed to Healthcare Interoperability

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 14, 2006 -- SureScripts today announced a new certification status designed to recognize physician software and service providers that are truly advancing electronic prescribing and healthcare interoperability in the United States. SureScripts GoldRx™ certification status will be granted to electronic medical record (EMR) and e-prescribing solutions that not only have been tested and marketed as e-prescribing capable, but have a proven track record with pharmacy interoperability.

GoldRx status mandates that physician software and service providers meet a number of benchmarks for "live" customer deployments -- with new physician users and within a technology provider's existing install base. GoldRx certification also requires technology providers to implement changes to product workflow based on feedback and best practices from physicians at hundreds of practices around the country. Supporting certifications for medication history (from community pharmacy) and formulary and eligibility information (from SureScripts-certified payers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)) are also mandatory.

SureScripts will grant its first GoldRx certifications on February 27, 2007. On that day, CEOs from each organization receiving GoldRx product certification will join other healthcare leaders from across the nation at a press conference announcing the GoldRx honorees and the winners of the 2007 SafeRx™ awards.* The event will coincide with the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in New Orleans.

"Granting physician software and service providers a uniform certification for pharmacy interoperability is no longer adequate," said Kevin Hutchinson, president and CEO of SureScripts. "SureScripts and many health IT experts believe that the electronic link between a physician and a pharmacist is the most critical and the most achievable first step toward broader healthcare interoperability. In an effort to separate the promise of automation from actual implementation, SureScripts GoldRx certification will now spotlight which software vendors have taken the appropriate and necessary steps to connect physicians and pharmacists in communities across the nation. For physicians making an investment in the safety of their patients, the efficiency of their practice and the quality of their own clinical decision-making, GoldRx certification will help them know which software vendors are actually delivering on pharmacy interoperability and other critical levels of automation."

Over the past two years, SureScripts has tested and certified the applications of every major e-prescribing and electronic medical record (EMR) vendor in the U.S. More than 70 technology providers -- representing over 150,000 existing physician users -- have contracted with SureScripts to enable their software and services to exchange prescription information with local pharmacies. Clinics and physicians that use SureScripts Certified Solutions™ have the ability to connect to the pharmacy industry and, as a result, have an unprecedented ability to improve the prescribing process. (Physicians can go to www.surescripts.com to check an EMR or e-prescribing vendor's pharmacy interoperability status.)

Today, however, the vast majority of these 150,000 physicians are still using older versions of their vendor's software -- versions that have no electronic connection with pharmacy. The result: new prescriptions are sent and received by fax; refill requests are processed by phone and fax; patient medication history from community pharmacy is unavailable; and there is incomplete patient formulary and eligibility information. GoldRx certification gives special status to those vendors who find this situation unacceptable -- and are doing something about it.

As such, the criteria for SureScripts GoldRx certification status focuses less on product compliance with technical standards and much more on benchmarks that signal a vendor's commitment to interoperability, customer support and successful customer implementations:

--  Customer Education - GoldRx companies must spend a defined amount of
    resources raising awareness among their physician customers of the
    opportunity to communicate new prescription and refill information with
    pharmacists electronically.
    
--  Proven Pharmacy Interoperability - GoldRx companies must make pharmacy
    interoperability part of every new client installation and add or upgrade a
    specified number of physicians to the SureScripts network.
    
--  Pharmacy Health Information Exchange - GoldRx vendors must enable
    their application to receive medication history from community pharmacy and
    formulary/eligibility services from the payers and PBMs certified by
    SureScripts.
    
--  Workflow Enhancements and Customer Support - An organization receiving
    GoldRx product certification has committed to continually improve the
    quality of the prescribing process through execution of a mutual agreement
    that outlines specific service level commitments related to operations of
    the SureScripts network.
    

SureScripts is already working with vendors on pursuing the steps necessary to qualify for GoldRx certification. Technology providers seeking more information about GoldRx certification can contact Mary Martin at 703-921-5221 or mary.martin@surescripts.com.

* Sponsored by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and SureScripts®, the SafeRx award goes to each of the top 10 e-prescribing states in the nation and to physicians who have demonstrated outstanding leadership through their use of e-prescribing technology.

About SureScripts

SureScripts®, the largest network provider of electronic prescribing services, is committed to building relationships within the health care community and working collaboratively with key industry stakeholders and organizations to improve the safety, efficiency and quality of health care by improving the overall prescribing process. At the core of this improvement effort is the SureScripts Electronic Prescribing Network™, a health care infrastructure which establishes electronic communications between pharmacists and physicians and enables the two-way electronic exchange of prescription information. Today, more than 90 percent of all pharmacies in the United States are certified on the SureScripts network. More information about SureScripts is available at www.surescripts.com.

SureScripts Contact:
Rob Cronin
917-414-5289
rob.cronin@surescripts.com

SOURCE:  SureScripts

Information Week via NewsEdge Corporation :

Cigna HealthCare is trying to use the Internet to build closer ties to doctors and patients. Later this year, the insurer will test a Web-based system that will let customers schedule doctor appointments, view laboratory results, and receive prescription refills and renewals online.

The system, known as Physician webVisits, is a Microsoft ASP .Net Web application running on Microsoft's Internet Information Server that lets customers research information on doctors, prescriptions, treatment costs, and 145 nonurgent medical symptoms. In addition, the application allows health plan members to report any symptoms to their doctors by E-mail.

"This extends our relationship with the doctor and patient," says Joseph Mondy, communications director for Cigna, which has $44.8 billion in assets. "A patient will be able to log on and enter in any symptoms they are experiencing, and the doctor will respond within eight hours."

KICK THE TIRES

Cigna HealthCare and RelayHealth teamed up in January, and Cigna is in the process of implementing the service. Because Cigna will be referring patients to RelayHealth's Web site, the IT teams have had to extend the security features, using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 and BizTalk Accelerators for compliance with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

"Cigna's auditors gave us great insight into the requirements that are demanded by a leading health care company," says Briana Pompei, communications director at RelayHealth. "We learned a lot from the process."

Cigna and RelayHealth are expected to deploy the application in July, pilot testing it on Cigna HealthCare members in California who are employed by networking vendor Cisco Systems. These members will have access to the system through a single sign-on to the myCigna.com site. Cigna HealthCare will expand availability of Physician webVisits to other health plans in California, Arizona, Florida, and the tri-state New York metropolitan area in 2007.

Write to us at iweekletters@cmp.com.

http://informationweek.com/

Copyright 2006 CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved.

<<Information Week -- 04/25/06>>

Copyright © 2006 CMP Media LLC

InformationWeek | News | Report: Physicians Leaning More On Internet Technologies | April 19, 2006.

Physicians are increasingly using Web checks, online searches, E-mail, blogs, audio files, and other Internet technologies in conducting their everyday practices.

By W. David Gardner,  TechWeb.com
April 19, 2006
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=186100356

Physicians are increasingly turning to high technology in conducting their everyday practices, according to a survey released Wednesday by Manhattan Research.

While there is little surprise in the finding that physicians are flocking to the Internet or that they use Google and Yahoo search engines, they have cottoned even to the iPod and other digital music players. The market research firm said nearly 40 percent of the physicians polled have used iPods or another portable digital music player.

"Leading the shift towards the 'digitization' of health information, the data reveal continued growth of physicians using electronic medical records or electronic prescribing," Manhattan Research reported. "In fact, 142,000 physicians report they are actually using the Internet during patient consultations."

The market research firm, which tracks physician trends and developments, noted that while Google and Yahoo search engines are most popular with doctors, they also look for information in specialized physician portals like Medscape, Merck Medicus, and UpToDate.

Even on the cutting edge of technology, Manhattan Research found that 487,000 physicians use the so-called "new media" – streaming video, downloadable audio content and blogs.

In their contacts with pharmaceutical companies, some 75 percent of physicians said they have used – or are interested in using – online customer service with drug companies.  

Copyright © 2005 CMP Media LLC

InformationWeek | News | Report: Physicians Leaning More On Internet Technologies | April 19, 2006.

Physicians are increasingly using Web checks, online searches, E-mail, blogs, audio files, and other Internet technologies in conducting their everyday practices.

By W. David Gardner,  TechWeb.com
April 19, 2006
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=186100356

Physicians are increasingly turning to high technology in conducting their everyday practices, according to a survey released Wednesday by Manhattan Research.

While there is little surprise in the finding that physicians are flocking to the Internet or that they use Google and Yahoo search engines, they have cottoned even to the iPod and other digital music players. The market research firm said nearly 40 percent of the physicians polled have used iPods or another portable digital music player.

"Leading the shift towards the 'digitization' of health information, the data reveal continued growth of physicians using electronic medical records or electronic prescribing," Manhattan Research reported. "In fact, 142,000 physicians report they are actually using the Internet during patient consultations."

The market research firm, which tracks physician trends and developments, noted that while Google and Yahoo search engines are most popular with doctors, they also look for information in specialized physician portals like Medscape, Merck Medicus, and UpToDate.

Even on the cutting edge of technology, Manhattan Research found that 487,000 physicians use the so-called "new media" – streaming video, downloadable audio content and blogs.

In their contacts with pharmaceutical companies, some 75 percent of physicians said they have used – or are interested in using – online customer service with drug companies.  

Copyright © 2005 CMP Media LLC

In Time for 2007 Strategic Planning, Manhattan Research Reveals Top Physician Technology Trends: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance.

In Time for 2007 Strategic Planning, Manhattan Research Reveals Top Physician Technology Trends
Wednesday April 19, 9:00 am ET Listen Now to the Audiocast Overview and Register for the May 3rd Webinar

    1.  What is the role of the Internet in the day-to-day life of today's
        physician? -- 579,000 ... the number of U.S. physicians reporting they
        have "high speed" access at their office or at home or office in 2006.
        In fact, 142,000 physicians report they are actually using the
        Internet during patient consultations. Finally, leading the shift
        towards the "digitalization" of health information, the data reveal
        continued growth of physicians using EMR (electronic medical records)
        or electronic prescribing.

    2.  How do physicians look for information online and what types of

        content do they seek? -- 610,000 ... the number of U.S. physicians who

        report using search engines to find medical information online.

        Although Google and Yahoo! are clear market leaders, physicians report

        varying degrees of relevance and satisfaction when it comes to search

        engine results. And, while search engines play an essential role in

        finding information, leading physician portals such as Medscape, Merck

        Medicus, and UpToDate continue to serve as critical resources in the

        weekly (and daily) lives of practicing physicians.

    3.  What is the role of mobile devices for physicians? -- 333,000 ... the

        number of U.S. physicians reporting use of some type of mobile device

        today (such as a PDA, smartphone with PDA, or a pen tablet).

        Furthermore, just under 40% report using an iPod or portable digital

        music player.

    4.  Are physicians interested in online new media? -- 487,000 ... the

        number of physicians who can be classified as users of "new media",

        such as streaming video, downloadable audio content, or blogs.

        Although many of these technologies are still in their infancy, the

        segment of physicians using them in some capacity today clearly

        represents a viable audience from a strategic marketing perspective.

    5.  What "e" relationship currently exists between physicians and pharma?

        Despite a relatively stagnant market for electronic detailing (aka,

        e-detailing), physicians still voice a strong demand for electronic

        interaction and online customer service with pharmaceutical companies.

        In fact, approximately 75% of physicians report they have used, or are

        interested in using, a customer service portal from a pharmaceutical

        company.

    WEBINAR DATE:  May 3, 2006 at 11:00am ET

    PRESENTER:     Meredith Abreu, VP of Research

    REGISTER:      http://www.manhattanresearch.com/ttp2006.aspx

    MEDIA CONTACT:

    Erica Alexander

    ealexander@manhattanresearch.com

    212.255.7799

Source: Manhattan Research

University of Florida Physicians Offers Secure Online Communication Services Through RelayHealth.

University of Florida Physicians Offers Secure Online Communication Services Through RelayHealth Web-based Service Offers Patients a New Way to Access Healthcare EMERYVILLE, Calif. and GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Florida Physicians, the UF College of Medicine faculty group practice affiliated with the Shands HealthCare system that provides outpatient care in Gainesville, is now using the RelayHealth service to allow patients, clinicians and staff to work together in a secure, online environment. By using RelayHealth, UF Physicians' patients can resolve non-urgent health matters from the convenience of their computers. Patients can conduct a webVisit(R) consultation with participating physicians, request prescription refills and renewals, schedule appointments, receive lab results, and request referrals -- all online. Clinicians and staff can communicate with patients online; reducing phone volume and time spent playing "telephone tag." With the RelayHealth eScript solution, doctors can also write electronic prescriptions quickly and safely and send them to the patient's pharmacy of choice. In some cases, doctors can even get paid for webVisits. Dr. Aida Vega, UF College of Medicine's division of internal medicine associate chief, is the medical director at Tower Hill Internal Medicine and has been using RelayHealth to process prescription refills and referral requests and she will soon begin using the webVisit feature. "My patients have given me a lot of positive feedback about the increased level of access to me and other clinic staff," Vega said. "I think it's a wonderful system. In fact, I was on vacation the other week and used it to communicate with my nurse and staff, so I could stay in the loop about my patients' needs." "Online care provides a good opportunity to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship," said Kelly Kerr, Senior Director of Faculty Practice Clinics. "It can promote thoughtful questions, thorough replies and facilitate follow-up care that's convenient and effective for both patient and physician. This communication vehicle can increase access to healthcare without significantly increasing healthcare costs, thanks to support from our health-plan partner." Patients benefit from improved access to their healthcare provider. They also enjoy greater convenience in managing their healthcare. Messages can be securely sent and received at any time from any computer with an Internet connection, decreasing time away from work and waiting in a doctor's office. Physicians benefit from increased productivity, expedited processing of prescription refills and reporting lab results, and improved patient satisfaction. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) is sponsoring UF Physicians' introduction of the RelayHealth system. "We believe that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has a unique role in advancing the health and well being of Florida's citizens," said William Kerr, M.D., chief medical officer, BCBSF. "Through RelayHealth, we now offer physicians with the University of Florida Physicians group and their patients a safe and confidential way to communicate about non-urgent healthcare needs." RelayHealth services are provided at no cost to patients with the exception of the webVisit feature, which carries the equivalent cost of a face-to-face office visit, for those with coverage through their insurance plan. The webVisit is an online medical interview that gathers key data about a patient's symptoms and relays it quickly and concisely to their doctor. Through a special program, patients with health coverage through BCBSF can conduct a webVisit while enjoying the convenience of accessing care online from their own doctor saving valuable time. Today 81 providers and their offices are currently using the RelayHealth service. Additional providers will be joining the service as RelayHealth is rolled out across the University of Florida Physicians practices. "University of Florida Physicians has been a leader in deploying Internet-based services to improve healthcare processes," says Giovanni Colella, MD, president and chief executive officer of RelayHealth. "We are proud to add them as a client organization, and look forward to increasing the benefit we can bring to their providers and their patients through the webVisit reimbursement contracts we share with BCBSF." "Our patients and physicians have been asking for a secure way to communicate electronically with each other, and RelayHealth provides an excellent vehicle to accomplish that," said Jane Schumaker, UF Physicians chief executive officer. "We are delighted that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has sponsored our introduction to e-medicine and, even more importantly, recognizes the value of providing coverage of webVisits for its members." UF Physicians' patients can access RelayHealth through Shands.org. About University of Florida Physicians UF Physicians is the faculty group practice of the UF College of Medicine in Gainesville, Fla., and is affiliated with the Shands HealthCare system. The practice includes more than 850 physicians practicing in 42 clinical sites. http://www.shands.org About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is a leader in Florida's health industry. BCBSF and its subsidiaries serve more than 8.3 million people. Since 1944, the company has been dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of all those it serves by offering an array of choices. BCBSF is a not-for-profit, policyholder-owned, tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please see its Web site at http://www.bcbsfl.com. About RelayHealth Corporation RelayHealth is the premier provider of secure, online healthcare communication services. The RelayHealth platform connects patients, clinicians, payers and pharmacies to improve clinical productivity, create administrative efficiencies, reduce costs and enhance patient satisfaction. Medical practices can quickly deploy RelayHealth to realize immediate results such as increased physician productivity and reduced phone volume. With the RelayHealth Interoperability Toolkit, practices can also integrate RelayHealth with most major commercial or custom electronic medical record and practice management systems. RelayHealth's robust suite of solutions for the medical office includes secure messaging featuring the webVisit, and end to end e-prescribing through eScript. The RelayHealth communications platform also enables care management and continuity of care through tools such as a Patient Health Record that interoperates with physician and payer clinical systems. For information, visit http://www.relayhealth.com/florida. SOURCE RelayHealth Corporation Web Site: http://www.shands.org/ http://www.bcbsfl.com/ http://www.relayhealth.com/

Study: Medicare, Insurers Reluctant to Pay for Telehealth.

Copyright (c) 2006 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Study: Medicare, Insurers Reluctant to Pay for Telehealth.

Copyright (c) 2006 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.