Today’s Business News
Spring is in the air as some of the industry’s leading companies merge and partner with each other to expand their health IT sand box. Here’s a recap from various company-issued press releases.
As part of its continued efforts to strengthen and expand its service capabilities across the healthcare continuum, Quintiles announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Encore Health Resources (Encore). Encore is a leader in the health-information analytics and technology services industry focused on healthcare providers. Through its consulting services and solutions, Encore assists customers with a wide range of strategy, advisory, implementation, process-redesign, optimization, analytics and performance-improvement initiatives. Founded in 2009, Encore has more than 300 employees located throughout North America, including approximately 250 consultants. Its primary business is focused on implementation and advisory services around electronic health records (EHR). The addition of these capabilities will enhance Quintiles’ EHR expertise, which is becoming increasingly important as biopharmaceutical customers, payers and providers focus on measuring outcomes based on real-world performance in terms of clinical effectiveness and value.
Advanced Data Systems Corporation (ADS), provider of healthcare automation including MedicsRIS™, MedicsDocAssistant™ EHR for Radiology, and MedicsPremier™ PM, announced a new strategic partnership with Merge Healthcare Incorporated (NASDAQ: MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to advance healthcare. Integrating Merge’s iConnect Network with ADS’ MedicsRIS will enable the referring physician communities of ADS’ radiology clients to receive and view exam results and diagnostic quality images (using a diagnostic display) as well as other critical patient information as transmitted from within MedicsRIS. This type of advanced interoperability between radiologists and providers results in decreased duplicate tests and radiation exposure, improving patient outcomes and increasing physician satisfaction. It also reduces the cost of care and helps the radiology practice’s referring physicians attest for Meaningful Use Stage 2’s (MU2) imaging requirements by receiving real-time access to viewing critical diagnostic information directly into their EHR, including imaging studies.
MatrixCare, EHR for long-term care and senior living providers, has joined Carequality as a founding member. Carequality is an industry collaborative dedicated to accelerating progress in health data exchange among multi-platform networks, healthcare providers, and electronic health record (EHR) and health information exchange vendors. MatrixCare is the only founding member dedicated to providing solutions to skilled nursing and senior living providers. Carequality will build industry consensus regarding implementation of a core set of capabilities that enable connectivity among existing networks, including implementation-level functionality, standards-based technical and testing requirements, trust policies, and operational practices for inter-network connectivity. This interoperability framework will lower costs and ultimately improve health outcomes by enabling person-centered, collaborative care. The MatrixCare Connections program is another example of industry leadership and innovation relative to interoperability. This program formally certifies the interoperability between MatrixCare and third-party systems and service organizations that are critical to providers, ensuring the integrity of information flows that often include Protected Health Information.
Halfpenny Technologies, Inc. and the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) announced today that they have signed an agreement that will enable the delivery of clinical results to DHIN’s enrolled practices using the physician practices’ electronic health records (EHRs) software. Halfpenny Technologies has partnerships with numerous EHR companies that currently serve DHIN enrolled practices. This agreement, utilizing Halfpenny’s intelligent integration technology hub, supplements the wide range of services provided by DHIN. Once established, this integration will be able to be used by multiple EMR vendors, providing for a more efficient process for testing and establishing medical results delivery to individual practices. It is expected this new arrangement will help simplify both the contractual requirements and technical requirements for launching a certified EMR interface, making it easier for doctors to receive and view results on their patients.