The glut of electronic medical records vendors on the market, all looking to grab a piece of the federal stimulus pie, isn’t lost on MedAppz.
The Wichita, Kansas-based provider of electronic health record and practice management software is looking to solidify its standing with physicians through a partnership with ASG Software Solutions. The deal allows MedAppz to incorporate Naples, Fla.-based ASG’s Cypress document management solution into its iSuite technology.
Officials from both companies say that’s the key to “meaningful use” of healthcare IT.
“The capability of Cypress is such that it can take anything. It really is that bridge … to interoperability,” said Theresa Kollath, ASG’s senior director of solutions management. “It does speak the correct languages in order to facilitate the exchange of information.”
MedAppz’ iSuite provides a software-as-a-service model that makes it possible for ambulatory care practices to schedule appointments, chart patient information, write prescriptions, bill patients and file claims. The ASG-Cypress solution captures documents, reports, scanned charts, faxes, e-mails and other content. Together, the package is designed to deliver all sorts of electronic data to physicians in real time.
“You’ve now created, almost, a RHIO within a small community,” said Brian Lichtlin, the CEO of MedAppz. “That makes this the poster child for meaningful use of EMR technology.”
Lichtlin and Kollath said physicians are gun-shy about technology because of the uncertainty surrounding the definition of “meaningful use” of healthcare IT – a cornerstone to the eventual disbursement of federal stimulus funding to healthcare providers to spur adoption of EMR systems. By creating a platform that can gather data from all corners of the health information system and put it at a doctor’s fingertips at the point of care, they hope to sell physicians on the value of flexible content management.
“The foundation is certainly there,” said Kollath. “Physicians can adopt this technology quickly and easily and see the results.”
