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Cerner, Medem partner for physician online
network
 February 4, 2003  Health care IT giant Cerner and Medem will combine their computer networks to let
physicians, hospitals and patients share information via a single, secure online
network, company representatives are expected to announce today. The service
will support access to patients� electronic medical records at hospitals and
physician offices, as well as Medem�s online consultation service. The service will let physicians and hospital personnel electronically transfer patient files, refer patients and view lab results, reducing health care organizations� reliance on paper-based systems. The service will include security applications to track who has accessed patient records, as well as measures to restrict access to patients� medical records to their own physician. Medem officials expect the partnership to increase demand for its paid online consultation service, which it launched in June 2002. The consultation service lets patients communicate with their physicians via a secure Web site, reducing security risks associated with standard e-mail. The new service is available immediately; the integrated system will cost less than $100,000 and will take four to five weeks to implement at a typical 500-physician hospital, according to Dr. Edward Fotsch, CEO of Medem. Medem is a for-profit joint venture of 45 medical societies, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association (Perman, Wall Street Journal Online, 2/3). |
