News | August 4, 2011

4medica's Certified Solution Gives Hospitals Affordable Cloud EHR To Attain Stimulus Funds

ONC-ATC certified cloud EHR is faster alternative for achievable Stage 1 meaningful use strategy

4medica announced today that its Integrated Electronic Health Record (iEHR) version 10.11 has earned certification as an Electronic Health Record (EHR) Module. The cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) iEHR solution satisfies the general and inpatient categories of certification criteria and meets the inpatient clinical quality measures required for hospitals and health systems to attest for Stage 1 meaningful use. With 15 months or less to go, healthcare organizations can rapidly deploy the affordable iEHR within weeks to qualify for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

4medica's iEHR Module was certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), an ONC Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ATCB). The certification number is CC-1112-401670-4.

"To qualify for Stage 1 incentive payments in the first round of attestation, hospitals must comply with 19 objectives comprised of 14 core measures and five out of 10 menu set objectives between now and early July 2012," said Oleg Bess, M.D., 4medica's CEO. "However, it is unlikely that many will meet requirements in time while installing or waiting for vendors to implement upgraded versions of locally hosted EHRs that typically require 12 to 18 months. Our cloud iEHR can be deployed in weeks rather than months or years. It is the perfect alternative for small- and medium-sized facilities to quickly meet computerized provider order entry, interoperability, privacy and other key inpatient criteria."

Cost is the biggest differentiator between cloud-based EHRs and locally hosted EHRs. A SaaS solution with clinical integration capability is estimated to cost a 100- to 150-bed facility 50 to 66 percent less than a $1M to $1.5M traditional EHR system.

"The cloud computing model also spares providers from spending $4 to $5M in extra implementation and maintenance costs," noted Dr. Bess. "SaaS leverages a standard web browser and high speed Internet connection that prevents lengthy system testing and training and hiring of additional I.T. staff typically required by conventional EHRs. We operate and maintain our iEHR at our professionally managed co-located data centers."

4medica's advanced clinical integration capabilities further help hospitals leverage their existing information technology infrastructure to meet meaningful use reporting requirements. The iEHR can capture and aggregate laboratory, imaging, pathology, e-prescribing, and inpatient and ambulatory data from multiple sources into a single, patient-centric record. Physicians can exchange the interoperable health information with other healthcare professionals via ancillary systems inside and outside their enterprise to enhance continuity of a patient's care.

4medica's iEHR version 10.11 meets the following certification criteria:

  • 170.302(a) Drug-drug, drug-allergy interaction checks
  • 170.302(b) Drug-formulary checks
  • 170.302(c) Maintain up-to-date problem list
  • 170.302(d) Maintain active medication list
  • 170.302(e) Maintain active medication allergy list
  • 170.302(f) Record and chart vital signs
  • 170.302(g) Smoking status
  • 170.302(h) Incorporate laboratory test results
  • 170.302(k) Submission to immunization registries
  • 170.302(n) Automated measure calculation
  • 170.302(o) Access control
  • 170.302(p) Emergency access
  • 170.302(q) Automatic log-off
  • 170.302(r) Audit log
  • 170.302(s) Integrity
  • 170.302(t) Authentication
  • 170.302(u) General encryption
  • 170.302(v) Encryption when exchanging electronic health information
  • 170.306(a) CPOE
  • 170.306(b) Record demographics
  • 170.306(c) Clinical decision support
  • 170.306(d) Electronic copy of health information
  • 170.306(e) Electronic copy of discharge instructions
  • 170.306(f) Exchange clinical information and patient summary record
  • 170.306(h) Advance directives
  • 170.306(i) Calculate and submit clinical quality measures.

About 4medica
4medica provides the industry's leading cloud SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) clinical integration platform, the Integrated Electronic Health Record (iEHR), to help healthcare organizations create a seamless view of the patient care experience and drive EHR adoption. The intuitive iEHR platform design integrates with and builds upon disparate systems to facilitate interoperable data exchange across various care settings to promote care continuity. To help small community and rural hospitals qualify for ARRA incentives and demonstrate Meaningful Use, 4medica's cloud computing model is scalable, lower cost, maintenance-free, easy to use and deployable in four months or less, eliminating large capital outlays or resource utilization. 4medica connects 100-plus institutional facilities including hospitals, health systems, physicians, laboratories and radiology and pathology clinics, and its products are used by more than 27,000 physicians. For more information, visit www.4medica.com.

SOURCE: 4medica