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ExtraHop Provides Insurance Policy for Healthcare Applications & IT Infrastructure with IT Operational Intelligence

Growing Number of Healthcare Organizations Rely on ExtraHop to Manage Major IT Initiatives such as Citrix VDI, EHR, and HIPAA

SEATTLE, WA, & NEW ORLEANS, LA — March 4, 2013 — ExtraHop announced today at the HIMSS13 Annual Conference and Exhibition that its real-time IT operational intelligence platform has been adopted by a growing number of healthcare organizations to ensure that vital technologies like desktop virtualization, picture archiving and communications systems (PACS), and electronic health records (EHR) are deployed and perform optimally. ExtraHop’s agentless, network-based platform provides correlated, cross-tier visibility to identify and solve problems quickly for organizations such as Practice Fusion, MedSolutions, and many more. ExtraHop delivers this deep visibility in a way that is compliant with HIPAA security and privacy standards.

In a 2012 survey of more than 500 IT decision makers, 44 percent of healthcare organizations indicated they plan to increase their adoption of server-hosted virtual desktops (SHVD) in 2013, a higher proportion than all other industries. However, while virtualization is a key healthcare initiative, patient care can suffer from latency or slow login times if organizations use legacy application performance monitoring tools, which cannot correlate issues across tiers.

The ExtraHop platform is verified as Citrix Ready® for Citrix XenDesktop®, Citrix XenApp™, and Citrix NetScaler® and provides essential IT operational intelligence through real-time analysis of the Citrix ICA wire protocol. John Smith, Netscaler/Citrix Architect at a major healthcare information technology company, and one of only 46 official Citrix Technology Professional Awardees, says of his experience: “ExtraHop is a great APM tool but it is also a great network monitoring tool and has value to every branch of my IT department. This is not a product whose value can be judged by finding its bubble in a scatter plot. I have not even scratched the surface of what this product can do.”

ExtraHop also offers healthcare organizations a way to monitor applications while complying with HIPAA security and privacy standards. Amidst 270 percent annual growth, Web-based EMR provider Practice Fusion found that only ExtraHop could provide real-time visibility across the network, web, database, and storage tiers without requiring any configuration and without risking privacy violations by storing packets. “We manage more than 50 million patient records,” says John Hluboky, VP of Technical Operations at Practice Fusion. “It’s incredibly important that ExtraHop can monitor all our traffic—even the encrypted traffic—and do it without any potential privacy violations.”

For healthcare cost-management services provider MedSolutions, ExtraHop equips every IT team member from application developers to the CIO with operational intelligence to continually improve everything from team collaboration to application rollouts to customer experience. Additionally, ExtraHop’s performance benchmarking abilities have enabled MedSolutions to migrate critical applications from physical to virtual environments—in one case saving $70,000 in hardware costs.

The ExtraHop platform meets the rigorous demands of modern healthcare applications and infrastructure by delivering key capabilities and supporting important initiatives, including the following:

· Visibility and monitoring for all clients, applications and infrastructure communicating over the network, regardless of technology or software platform

· Compliance and security insight that tracks logins by client as well as activity down to the file access level

· Support for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) efforts by automatically discovering and tracking new devices and clients, and distinguishing between those client types, including doctors’ tablets

· Plug-and-play deployment with no configuration required and no agents to install and maintain

· Proactive early warning to fix issues before customers are impacted or SLAs are breached.

· Automatic discovery and classification of all new applications and systems in the IT environment

· Drill-down capabilities that provide for transaction-specific analysis of problems

“Hospitals and doctors are under pressure to modernize, and they cannot afford disruptions or slow performance that would negatively impact patient care,” says Jesse Rothstein, CEO, ExtraHop. “The rapid adoption of our platform among companies in the healthcare space arises from the safety net that we provide, making sure that these new systems do what they should while also making IT operations less burdensome and expensive.”

To see how the ExtraHop operational intelligence platform can transform your healthcare IT organization, try it for free for 60 days by downloading the ExtraHop Discovery Edition. Visit us in booth #5755 at the HIMSS13 Annual Conference and Exhibition to learn more.

About ExtraHop Networks

ExtraHop provides the real-time operational intelligence required to make IT more agile and proactive. The world’s best-run IT organizations use ExtraHop to manage more than a quarter-million devices and monitor over a trillion transactions daily, including Adobe, Alaska Airlines, Concur, Expedia, and Microsoft. Winner of many innovation awards from Gartner, Interop, and others, the ExtraHop platform auto-discovers and auto-classifies all applications and systems out of the box, providing the correlated, real-time visibility essential for dynamic environments. The ExtraHop platform deploys without agents and delivers value in less than 15 minutes, making it the most cost-effective solution on the market. Follow us on Twitter @ExtraHop.

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March 4, 2013 I Written By John

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit.

Filed Under: EHR

CareCloud Reports Record Growth in 2012; Drives Adoption of Cloud-Based Solutions by Physicians Nationwide

Company Accelerates Market Momentum with Launch of New Clinical and Patient Applications, Enterprise Customer Wins, and Leadership Expansion

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CareCloud, a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic health records (EHR), and medical billing software and services, today announced that the company concluded 2012 with its 12^th quarter of consecutive revenue growth. Highlights included: the expansion of CareCloud’s customer base of medical groups into 45 states; the achievement of more than $1.5 billion in annualized accounts receivables under management; the inclusion of more than 4.5 million patients on its platform; and the addition of key executives, many from its leading competitors. Across the board, accelerating market demand was driven by practices migrating from outdated client-server technologies to the company’s modern cloud-based clinical and financial applications and services.

“In just three years, CareCloud has made substantial progress in its mission to replace the outdated core of healthcare technology that burdens US medical groups. We experienced our most rapid growth to date during 2012 and concluded the year with more than 2,000 providers in 45 states representing more than 50 specialties, all while securing a 96% client retention rate,” said Albert Santalo, Chairman and CEO of CareCloud. “We also completed a full suite of what is now the industry’s most modern and flexible clinical, financial, and administrative applications. Along the way, CareCloud on-boarded smaller practices at a record pace while also securing significant enterprise accounts.”

Product and Platform Expansion Support Growth

This past year saw CareCloud make substantial innovations to its core software applications and services. The company launched CareCloud Charts, its cloud-based EHR; introduced its new Mobile Patient Portal offering, enabling patients to access their health records through iPhones and iPads; and invested in operational improvements to help practices implement faster, collect more, and run their operations more efficiently. The launch of Charts completed CareCloud’s powerful suite of fully integrated clinical, financial, and administrative applications, accessible by practices 24/7 from any browser, platform, and location. Furthermore, its flexible platform allowed these applications to be made available to practices either as a full suite or on a standalone basis – reflecting a growing market demand.

Company Bolsters Senior Leadership

CareCloud significantly expanded its senior leadership team across sales, marketing, product development, operations, and technology in 2012. The year began with the addition of Paul Henry and Brad Blakey as Vice Presidents of Small Practice and Group Sales, respectively. Mr. Henry, formerly the Vice President of Sales for ADP/AdvancedMD, now oversees CareCloud’s growing small practice sales team. Mr. Blakey leads CareCloud’s group practice sales efforts, leveraging more than two decades of sales operational experience from leadership positions at Nextgen Healthcare Solutions and athenahealth. With the addition of these executives and a growing national sales team, CareCloud was able to experience tremendous momentum across all its product lines, achieving more than a 300% increase in year over year new sales bookings.

2012 also saw major strides in CareCloud’s ability to market its cloud-based solutions, generate qualified leads, and drive overall awareness. Joe Sawyer joined as Vice President of Marketing, bringing significant enterprise software and healthcare-specific marketing experience. Mr. Sawyer had previously worked as Vice President of Marketing for American Well, a Boston-based leader in telemedicine technology, as well as at SAP, Accenture, and Forrester Research. CareCloud also experienced an increase in its public relations and overall awareness capabilities during the year with the addition of John Hallock as its Vice President of Corporate Communications. Mr. Hallock was formerly head of corporate communications for athenahealth.

To fuel product, operational, and technology excellence, CareCloud secured a leader in clinical software applications while expanding its account management and support functions. Edwin Miller joined the company as Vice President of Product Management. Mr. Miller, who most recently held leadership positions at Practice Fusion and athenahealth, is now responsible for the design and rollout of CareCloud’s entire product set. In November, Ralph Catalano joined the company as the new Vice President of Operations. He came to CareCloud after spending nearly 10 years at athenahealth where he held various operational leadership positions, including leading all operations. The year concluded with the hiring of John Walsh as Chief Technology Officer. Prior to CareCloud, Mr. Walsh was Senior Vice President, Engineering and Operations for Constant Contact®, Inc., a leading online marketing company offering email, social media, survey and event marketing tools. He brings unique experience with web-scaling in business-to-business environments that will play a central role in evolving CareCloud’s product architecture moving forward.

Santalo continued, “Heading into 2012, it was critical for CareCloud to recruit and assemble some of the most talented and experienced executives both inside and outside of our industry. I feel we now have an unparalleled senior leadership team. It’s these leaders and their respective teams that will allow us to continue experiencing tremendous growth in all phases of operations, disrupt legacy healthcare IT vendors, and evangelize the ‘cloud’ in healthcare.”

Physicians Making the Switch to the “Cloud”

In 2012, 93 percent of CareCloud’s new customers signed up because they were looking to replace outdated practice management and billing systems, feeling it was critical to maintaining their financial success. During the past year, the government implemented a series of regulations that significantly impact the way doctors and their staffs administer care and gain reimbursement. As a result, these practices discovered that their previous systems – many developed in the 1980s and 1990s – would not easily accommodate the changes.

“As a medical clinic supporting a continuing care retirement community, our patients’ healthcare needs range from routine wellness visits to traditional primary care, as well as coordination with external specialists. This requires us to have the best possible care coordination in place. Having the latest technology to assist us is critical,” said Bill Cohen, Director of the Horizon House Medical Clinic, Seattle, Washington.

“Our clinic needs to stay as current as possible with the changing reimbursement requirements relating to Medicare and other commercial insurance. We found that our client server electronic health record and practice management system was cost prohibitive and the outsourced management of the system was insufficiently responsive to our needs,” added Cohen. “Our switch to a cloud-based system has already allowed us to cut costs while positioning our clinic to stay current with changes in the healthcare system that impact both us and our patients.”

In late 2012, CareCloud made available a guide designed to assist care providers and their staff through the process of assessing practice management needs, finding a new practice management and billing software system, and successfully replacing old systems. The intention was to educate and assist physician practices as they look to learn more about cloud-based technologies.

This white paper and practice management guide, “Time to Switch: Your Complete Guide to Practice Management System Replacement” is available online and marks the beginning of a series of forthcoming market research and analysis focused on improving practice profitability.

About CareCloud

CareCloud is a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic health record (EHR) and medical billing software and services for medical groups. The company’s products are connecting providers to one another – and to their patients – through a fully integrated digital healthcare ecosystem that can be accessed on any browser or device.

CareCloud is helping over 2,000 thousand providers increase collections, streamline operations and improve patient care in more than 45 states. The company received over $20 million in Series A funding from Intel Capital and Norwest Venture Partners in 2011. To learn more about CareCloud, please visit www.carecloud.com.

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February 22, 2013 I Written By John

Filed Under: Cloud Computing EHR Electronic Health Record Healthcare

Practice Fusion Passes 50 Million Patients, Outlines Company Growth

Practice Fusion issued an infographic today in celebration of surpassing the 50 million patient milestone for their free, web-based Electronic Health Record (EHR). The free platform has already helped doctors attest for more than $35 million in Meaningful Use incentives. One out of four doctors choosing an EHR today picks Practice Fusion.

The free, web-based Electronic Health Records (EHR) provider has seen 50 percent employee growth since the beginning of the year alone

SAN FRANCISCO- August 8, 2012 – Practice Fusion, the nation’s largest doctor-patient community, has hit several significant milestones this year. Expected to reach 200 employees in its San Francisco headquarters this month, the company supports 150,000 medical practitioners serving 50 million patients nationwide. One in four doctors selecting an EHR today chooses Practice Fusion, which is reflected by the 49 percent increase in its users since August 2011. This growth confirms the urgent need for free, accessible and secure EHR systems for the nation’s physicians—particularly those in small practices.

“We’re democratizing access to EHR technology for physicians. The faster we grow, the more doctors we can help—and the more lives they can save,” said Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion. “This year is especially important for doctors seeking Meaningful Use, and we expect that our momentum is only going to build through the end of this year and into 2013.”

Key Facts:

One out of four doctors choosing an EHR today picks Practice Fusion
Practice Fusion has helped medical professionals nationwide attest for Meaningful Use, with a total of $35.5 million paid to date. Of these, the top states to receive payments include California, Florida and New York
The average cost for an EHR system is approximately $50,000; by comparison, Practice Fusion is completely free
Practice Fusion is now connected to more than 100 labs, a 440 percent increase year-over-year, largely thanks to its recently-launched Lab API
To demonstrate meaningful use of an EHR and qualify for full government incentives, eligible professionals must begin their 90-day reporting period by October 3

Practice Fusion – The free, web-based EMR

About Practice Fusion
Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based EHR system to physicians. With medical charting, scheduling, e-prescribing (eRx), lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EHR Software addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing Electronic Health Record community in the country with more than 150,000 users serving 50 million patients. The company closed a $34 million Series C financing led by Artis Ventures in June. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit www.practicefusion.com

Practice Fusion Launches API to Democratize Lab Integrations

Practice Fusion is announcing the launch of its laboratory API tomorrow. A first of its kind, it allows any laboratory in the country to connect directly to its EMR platform. As you may know, healthcare has been slow to adopt new, and more efficient ways of connecting. Practice Fusion’s lab API is bringing increased connectivity and interoperability to the entire healthcare ecosystem.

First-of-its-kind API enables any laboratory in the country to connect easily to the free Electronic Medical Record platform

SAN FRANCISCO – May 2, 2012 – Practice Fusion, the free Electronic Medical Record (EMR) company, today announced the launch of its new lab API, which allows any laboratory in the country to connect directly to the EMR. The lab API –first of its kind in the health sector – enables rapid deployment of new laboratory connections that would ordinarily take weeks or months to establish, giving over 150,000 medical professionals easy access to their local commercial, hospital and private laboratories. Practice Fusion already has 70 labs signed up for connectivity with the help of the new API.

“The process couldn’t have been easier and the Practice Fusion team was highly responsive in handling our feedback,” said Anita Miles, Executive Director at GYN PATH Services in Texas. “This kind of innovation and service is exactly what is needed to digitalize the lab integration process and improve the entire healthcare ecosystem.”

Key highlights:

Practice Fusion’s Lab API allows laboratories to connect to the EMR platform instantly with almost no turnaround time
Labs can use the API connection to instantly send lab results to Practice Fusion users with standard HL7 data files
Any commercial laboratory -including clinical, pathology, reference and hospital systems – can send lab results to users directly within the EMR
Minimal development is required from the lab and Practice Fusion offers free integration support
Over 150,000 medical providers using the EMR can connect to their national and regional labs of choice at no cost

Doctors are increasingly receiving electronic lab results with the help of EMRs, abandoning old fax-based transmissions that can result in increased downtime or errors. More than 10 billion laboratory tests are performed in the US each year and tests are essential to the prognosis and treatment of chronic conditions. While the cost of independent lab integration can typically range from $1,000 to $2,000 per physician, Practice Fusion provides connections to labs at no cost to them.

Practice Fusion is using input from the user community and partner organizations to continue improving the design and functionality of the service. All upcoming features, upgrades and new laboratory integrations will remain free for providers.

Labs interested in connecting to Practice Fusion’s EMR should contact Erica Martinez at emartinez@practicefusion.com or request more information online. Physicians interested in signing up for the free EMR should visit http://www.practicefusion.com

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based EMR system to physicians. With medical charting, scheduling, e-prescribing (eRx), lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EMR addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing Electronic Medical Records community in the country with more than 150,000 users serving 35 million patients. The company closed a $23 million Series B round of financing led by Founders Fund in 2011. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit http://www.practicefusion.com.

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May 11, 2012 I Written By David

Filed Under: Electronic Medical Record EMR EMR Vendors Healthcare Healthcare Interoperability Healthcare IT

Tags:Anita Miles Free Electronic Medical Record GYN PATH Services HL7 Independent Lab Integration Laboratory API Practice Fusion Practice Fusion EMR

Free EMR Brings $22 Million in Incentives to US Doctors

Practice Fusion is listed as a top 10 vendor for ambulatory Meaningful Use attestations from among 776 Electronic Medical Record systems

SAN FRANCISCO – April 3, 2012 – Practice Fusion has been ranked as a top 10 vendor for successful completions of the federal EMR incentive program by medical professionals, according to data released by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) as of January 2012. As the highest ranked free Electronic Medical Record (EMR) solution listed and one of the youngest vendors participating in the program, Practice Fusion’s innovative EMR technology has delivered an estimated $22 million in incentives to small and mid-sized medical practices all across the country.

“Meaningful Use can be complicated, but Practice Fusion makes the process easy for doctors,” said Dr. Robert Rowley, Medical Director of Practice Fusion. “We’ve designed our interactive Meaningful Use dashboard, free support and comprehensive, step-by-step guidance to suit the needs of busy medical practices. Because Practice Fusion’s EMR is completely free and we never take a cut of incentives, our doctors are able to reinvest 100 percent of their Meaningful Use checks back in to their practices.”

Key Facts:

Practice Fusion currently ranks No. 10 out of 776 ambulatory vendors based on the number of eligible providers who successfully attested to Meaningful Use through the Medicare program between April 2010 and January 2012
Practice Fusion ranked in Meaningful Use attestations for 43 different medical specialties, including:

No. 2 in Psychiatry
No. 3 in Podiatry
No. 3 in General Medicine
No. 6 in Endocrinology
No. 6 in Geriatrics

Growing rapidly, Practice Fusion ranks No. 5 when looking at just the last two months of attestation numbers, only behind legacy vendors Epic, Allscripts, eClinicalWorks and NextGen
The top 10 vendors represent 66 percent of all Meaningful Use attestations and the top 25 represent 85 percent of attestations, indicating that the EMR market is beginning to consolidate
Part of the 2009 Economic Stimulus Program (ARRA), Meaningful Use was created to incentivize eligible medical providers for using EMR technology in a way that benefits patients, improves care quality and advances public health goals
Practice Fusion is a completely free EMR solution for doctors interested in Meaningful Use. There is no charge for e-prescribing, charting, scheduling or giving patients real-time access to their records

Practice Fusion was recently named the No. 1 EMR for keeping doctors on track for Meaningful Use attestation, according to Brown-Wilson’s Black Book rankings. In addition, Practice Fusion was named the No. 1 EMR for customer satisfaction for all four primary care specialties—Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Family Practice and General Practice. With over 150,000 medical professional users reaching more than 34 million patients, Practice Fusion is currently the fastest growing EMR community in the country.

Reporters interested in access to the CMS attestation data or contact with a successful Meaningful Use provider are invited to contact Practice Fusion at media@practicefusion.com

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based EMR system to physicians. With medical charting, scheduling, e-prescribing (eRx), lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EMR addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing Electronic Medical Records community in the country with more than 150,000 users serving 34 million patients. The company closed a $23 million Series B round of financing led by Founders Fund in 2011. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit http://www.practicefusion.com/.

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April 9, 2012 I Written By David

Filed Under: Certified EHR Electronic Medical Record EMR EMR Vendors Healthcare Meaningful Use

Tags:2009 Economic Stimulus Program Ambulatory Meaningful Use Attestations Brown Wilson's Black Book CMS Dr. Robert Rowley Electronic Medical Record Systems Free EMR Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion Survey: Small Medical Practice Confidence Index Rises in 2012

Practice Fusion issued its annual State of the Small Practice survey on January 24, 2012 at 9AM EST.

Here are some of the key findings:

45 percent of doctors report that their practice is doing better this year compared to last year while 14 percent report that their practice is doing worse and 33 percent report no change.
In the 2011 State of the Small Practice Survey, only 26 percent reported that their practice was doing better than the year before, while 41 percent reported doing worse.
60 percent of small practices report that new technology has made things easier.
26 percent of practices use computers that are less than a year old. Thirty-eight percent report that the computers in their practice are over three years old, a major improvement from 73 percent the previous year. (Seven percent of practices have computers in the five to six-year-old range, down from 21 percent in 2011.)
An overwhelming 89 percent of doctors report being satisfied or extremely satisfied with their career despite challenges, a 20 percent increase from the year before.
Most practices ranked insurance and reimbursement as the top negative pressure (69 percent), followed by patient compliance issues (64 percent) and practice administration concerns (48 percent).
Positive trends are led by advancements in medicine (68 percent), patient compliance (53 percent) and improvement in the healthcare workforce (51 percent).

Practice Fusion’s 2012 State of the Small Practice survey and infographic reveal 60 percent of small medical practices are helped by technology, while nearly half report improvements in their practice in the last year

SAN FRANCISCO – January 24, 2012 – Forty-five percent of doctors in small or medium-sized practices report that their practice is doing better this year compared to last according to a survey released today by Practice Fusion, the free, web-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR) company. The second annual State of the Small Practice report also showed that technology has made things easier for over 60 percent of US medical providers in private practice. Administrative costs, insurance and reimbursement issues continue to be major burdens in a rapidly changing health care climate defined by government reform, technology mandates and an unfavorable nationwide economy.

Key Findings:

45 percent of doctors report that their practice is doing better this year compared to last year while 14 percent report that their practice is doing worse and 33 percent report no change.
In the 2011 State of the Small Practice Survey, only 26 percent reported that their practice was doing better than the year before, while 41 percent reported doing worse.
60 percent of small practices report that new technology has made things easier.
26 percent of practices use computers that are less than a year old. Thirty-eight percent report that the computers in their practice are over three years old, a major improvement from 73 percent the previous year. (Seven percent of practices have computers in the five to six-year-old range, down from 21 percent in 2011.)
An overwhelming 89 percent of doctors report being satisfied or extremely satisfied with their career despite challenges, a 20 percent increase from the year before.
Most practices ranked insurance and reimbursement as the top negative pressure (69 percent), followed by patient compliance issues (64 percent) and practice administration concerns (48 percent).
Positive trends are led by advancements in medicine (68 percent), patient compliance (53 percent) and improvement in the healthcare workforce (51 percent).

“We are witnessing a transformation in American medicine,” said Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion. “On the one hand, small practice doctors are struggling with rising costs and lower reimbursement rates. On the other hand, technologies such as Practice Fusion’s free EMR system are helping thousands of medical practices across the country to increase efficiency, eliminate paper charts, qualify for federal EMR incentives and provide top quality care to their communities.”

Practice Fusion’s EMR system provides charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, lab integrations and referral letters at zero cost to small and medium-sized ambulatory practices. View the 2011 State of the Small Practice infographic. Raw data from the 2011 and 2012 surveys is available for free upon request. Practice Fusion is also offering physician sources from across the country ready to talk about their own experiences managing a small practice.

The 2012 State of the Small Practice study was conducted by an internet survey with a national sample of 1,000 practices gathered through Practice Fusion’s platform. Medical providers were asked to provide responses to a series of multiple-choice survey questions based on last year’s data. In the previous year, the study was conducted on the MDLinx platform using a national sample of 100 small practice physicians using a series of open-ended questions. View results from the 2011 State of the Small Practice survey.

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based EMR system to physicians. With charting, scheduling, e-prescribing (eRx), lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EMR addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing EMR community in the country with more than 130,000 users serving 30 million patients. The company closed a $23 million Series B round of financing led by Founders Fund in 2011. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit practicefusion.com.

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January 25, 2012 I Written By David

Filed Under: Certified EHR Electronic Medical Record EMR EMR Vendors Healthcare Healthcare IT

Tags:Free Web-Based EMR System Health Care Climate Insurance and Reimbursements Practice Fusion Ryan Howard Small Medical Practices State of the Small Practice Survey

Survey: Physicians Believe EHRs are Safer than Paper Records, Patients Evenly Split

More and more physicians in the United States are going digital and at Practice Fusion, we were curious to learn about how both physicians and patients feel about this shift. We asked over 1,000 physician and 1,200 patients their pick on which is safer, paper or EHRs, and discovered that physicians believe that the digital option is safer while patients are divided.

Practice Fusion survey compares physician and patient opinions about medical record systems, highlights changing perceptions of health IT

San Francisco – November 2, 2011 – Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems are becoming more common in exam rooms across the US but how is the technology transition being perceived? A survey conducted by GfK Roper for Practice Fusion asked patients about their views on the safety of EHR versus paper charts while a separate survey posed the same questions to medical professionals. The results: a majority of physicians report that EHRs are safer than their paper record counterparts, citing accessibility of data as the top safety benefit. Patient perception is mixed with 47 percent stating that paper is safer and 39 percent believing that EHRs are actually the safer option.

Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems vs. paper medical charts:

Physicians agreed that EHRs (54 percent) are safer with only 18 percent of respondents selecting paper as the safer option

Of doctors who say EHRs are safer, access to records when needed is the top benefit (63 percent)
Doctors who select paper charts as the safer option believe that paper is more secure because it is less likely to be hacked or lost (36 percent)

Patient views on medical records are mixed. 47 percent believe that paper is safer and 39 percent believe that EHRs are safer

Of patients who say EHRs are safer, 77 percent strongly agree that being able to access records when needed is the greatest benefit of EHRs over paper
Of patients who say paper charts were safer, 59 percent agree or strongly agree that paper records are the more private option and allow for more control over who sees those records

“The medical community is rejecting paper charts and embracing technology,” said Robert Rowley, MD, Practice Fusion’s Medical Director. “As a practicing physician using an EHR, I understand the benefits and some of the concerns both physicians and patients have. With more education about why EHRs are safer than paper charts, we’ll see even more physicians switching from paper and patients demanding a digital solution.”

Practice Fusion, the fastest growing EHR community in the Unites States, applies the highest level of data infrastructure, virus prevention and encryption measures to ensure bank-level security of medical records. Records stored in Practice Fusion’s private cloud are securely accessible to doctors 24/7 and protected against fire, flood, theft or loss. Doctors can grant patients access to their records in real-time online using the Practice Fusion Personal Health Record (PHR). Practice Fusion meets and exceeds all HIPAA security requirements.

Survey methodology

The Practice Fusion “EHR vs Paper Charts” study was conducted via an omnibus survey on October 21-23 2011. The GfK Roper OmniTel survey is a weekly national phone survey of US households. Interviews were conducted from among a nationally representative sample of 1,006 adults age 18 or older. The margin of error on weighted data is +/- 3 percentage points for the full sample.

The physician survey was conducted online on October 28, 2011 using the same questions with a sample of 1,220 medical professionals.

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to physicians. With charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EHR addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing EHR community in the country with more than 100,000 users serving 24 million patients. The company closed a $23 million Series B round of financing led by Founders Fund in April 2011. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit practicefusion.com.

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November 3, 2011 I Written By David

Filed Under: Certified EHR EHR EHR Vendors Electronic Health Record Electronic Medical Record EMR Healthcare Healthcare IT Personal Health Record PHR Security

Tags:Accessibility of Data EHR Community EHR Safety EHR Vs. Paper Charts Electronic Health Record GfK Roper Practice Fusion Practice Fusion Medical Director Practice Fusion Personal Health Record Robert Rowley

Practice Fusion Previews Native Mobile Application for Doctors at Health 2.0

Free, web-based Electronic Medical Record system shares mobile roadmap with focus on native iPhone, Android and iPad applications for doctors, nurses and medical professionals.

San Francisco – September 27, 2011 – Practice Fusion, the fastest growing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system in the US, debuted a prototype today of its native iOS mobile application for the iPhone at the Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco. Practice Fusion currently has iPhone and Android applications in private beta testing. The mobile solutions will provide a free, lightweight and secure way for medical professionals to stay connected on the go and mark another step in the company’s aggressive mobile strategy.

“Doctors love mobile technology. An estimated 80 percent of physicians have smartphones,” said Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion. “This prototype is the next step we promised our mobile-hungry medical community. Soon, our doctors will access their free EMR accounts anytime, anywhere securely with a free iPhone app.”

Key Facts:

The iOS and Android applications will give medical providers secure mobile access to records anywhere they have cell or WiFi reception using a free Practice Fusion EMR account.
The applications will function as a mobile medical office for viewing patient charts, reviewing lab results, responding to prescription refill requests, HIPAA-compliant messaging and contacting patients.
The first public release of Practice Fusion’s native iOS and Android applications is planned for early 2012.
The native mobile applications will be offered entirely free, just like the company’s EMR system.
Practice Fusion users can also choose to connect to their EHR account through a mobile or tablet device using the existing affordable LogMeIn solution.
Practice Fusion’s free, web-based EMR currently has over 100,000 medical professional users serving 20 million patients.

Mobile devices have become a popular hardware choice in the medical community thanks to portability and access to real-time health information. Only in the last few years have medical providers been able to chart, order labs and e-prescribe anytime, anywhere, with the convenience granted by web-based technology. From house call doctors to telemedicine practitioners, new medical practice models can rely on Practice Fusion’s web-based platform to perform in the office or on the move.

Healthcare providers interested in Practice Fusion’s free EMR can sign up online in seconds at www.practicefusion.com.

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to physicians. With charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, billing, lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EMR addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing EMR community in the country with more than 100,000 users serving 20 million patients. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit practicefusion.com.

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October 2, 2011 I Written By David

Filed Under: Certified EHR EHR EHR Vendors Electronic Health Record Electronic Medical Record EMR EMR Vendors Healthcare mHealth Mobile Health

Tags:Fastest Growing EMR Free Electronic Medical Record Health 2.0 Conference Mobile EMR Roadmap Native iOS Mobile App Practice Fusion Ryan Howard Smartphone EMR Apps Web-Based Electronic Record

Practice Fusion is now the Largest Meaningful Use Community in US

Practice Fusion announced today that and estimated 5,000 medical providers will work toward meaningful use attestation in 2011 using their free, web-based EHR system. More than $90M in EHR incentives in 2011 alone will be accessible to eligible medical providers in the Practice Fusion community.

According to the latest CMS reports, nearly 4,500 providers received Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payments in the first seven months of 2011. Practice Fusion’s community of EHR users has the potential to significantly increase activity in the Meaningful Use program over the next three months.

Free, web-based EHR kicks off 2011 Meaningful Use attestation period with a forecasted 5,000 medical providers, potentially qualifying its users for $90M in EHR incentives in 2011

San Francisco – September 13, 2011 – Practice Fusion now represents the largest community of US doctors working towards Meaningful Use attestation in 2011. With the release of certified features to the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system on Monday night, every user on Practice Fusion’s free web-based EHR today has the tools needed to immediately begin Meaningful Use and earn up to $18,000 in 2011.

Key Facts:

Practice Fusion forecasts that 5,000 eligible providers will use the free EHR to work toward 2011 Meaningful Use incentives; adding up to a potential cumulative incentive of $90 million.
Through July, only 4,481 eligible providers have received 2011 EHR incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) by using any of the 758 certified EHR systems on the market.
Practice Fusion lets doctors keep their entire Medicare or Medicaid incentive. The company does not take a cut of incentives and does not charge users.
The October 1 deadline to start Meaningful Use in 2011 is looming. Practice Fusion expects a surge in demand for EHR technology as the 2011 cut-off approaches.
With a Live in Five® set-up guarantee, Practice Fusion is the only EHR where doctors can sign up today and immediately start 90-day attestation for 2011 incentives.
More information on Meaningful Use can be found at www.practicefusion.com/44k

“Practice Fusion has democratized Meaningful Use,” said Ryan Howard, CEO and Founder of Practice Fusion. “Starting today, every eligible provider has a shot at 2011 incentives with no cost and no risk through Practice Fusion. If you’re a solo practitioner, part of a large practice, a house call doctor or working in a non-profit clinic, you can get $18,000+ and participate in Washington’s vision for health technology transformation.”

Meaningful Use incentives are a small part of the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) overall investment in health technology through the 2009 Economic Stimulus Plan (ARRA). Earlier this year, the National Coordinator for Health IT, Farzad Mostashari, explained how “the sum total of Meaningful Use” is to save lives, prevent medical errors, coordinate care and empower patients.

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to physicians. With charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, billing, lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EMR addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing EMR community in the country with more than 100,000 users serving 18 million patients. The company closed a $23 million Series B round of financing led by Founders Fund in April 2011. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit practicefusion.com.

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September 20, 2011 I Written By David

Filed Under: ARRA Certified EHR EHR EHR Vendors Electronic Health Record Healthcare Healthcare IT Meaningful Use

Tags:Economic Stimulus Plan EHR Incentives Farzad Mostashari Free EHR Live in Five Meaningful Use Attestation Practice Fusion Practice Fusion Community Ryan Howard Web-Based EHR System

2011 Prescription Index from the Practice Fusion Research Division

When medical records are electronic, invaluable data for improving and tracking health trends is accessible. Practice Fusion released today their 2011 Prescription index tracking the most commonly prescribed medications in primary care. View the Prescription Index by specialty and see key changes in comparison with the 2010 Prescription Index.

2^nd annual Prescription Index tracks top 20 medications prescribed by Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatric and Psychiatric physicians over the past 3 months

SAN FRANCISCO – August 16, 2011 – Practice Fusion’s Research Division released today the second annual Prescription Index of the 20 most commonly prescribed medications by specialty among physicians using the company’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Topping the list are prescriptions for blood pressure (Lisinopril, Family Practice), cholesterol (Simvastatin, Internal Medicine), infection (Amoxicillin, Pediatrics) and depression (Trazodone, Psychiatry). Since the release of its first Prescription Index in July 2010, Practice Fusion’s user community has more than doubled in size and now serves over 18 million patients nationwide.

Key changes in comparison with the 2010 Prescription Index:

Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco) has dropped out of the top 20 for 2011 Family Practice and Internal Medicine.
There is increased use of Tramadol (Ultram) for pain. Reduced addictive potential and generic availability may be correlated with this trend.
There is an increased use of Azithromycin (Zithromax) as an antibiotic for all specialties. Short course of dosing and generic availability may be correlated with this trend.
Among psychiatrists, there is a move away from Prozac and toward other SSRIs.

The Prescription Index is an annual report on prescription trends from Practice Fusion’s Research Division. Top five prescriptions in per specialty in 2010 and 2011 are listed below and the complete lists of top 20 prescriptions per specialty are available at Practice Fusion’s Research Center.

Top 5 Family Practice Prescriptions
2010		2011
1	Lisinopril (Blood pressure)	1	Lisinopril (Blood pressure)
2	Simvastatin (Cholesterol)	2	Metformin (Diabetes)
3	Acetaminophen-hydrocodone (Pain)	3	Levothyroxine (Thyroid)
4	Metformin (Diabetes)	4	Simvastatin (Cholesterol)
5	Phentermine (Weight loss)	5	Prednisone (Inflammation)


Top 5 Internal Medicine Prescriptions
2010		2011
1	Simvastatin (Cholesterol)	1	Metformin (Diabetes)
2	Levothyroxine (Thyroid)	2	Amlodipine (Blood pressure)
3	Amlodipine (Blood pressure)	3	Levothyroxine (Thyroid)
4	Lisinopril (Blood pressure)	4	Atorvastatin (Cholesterol)
5	Metoprolol (Blood pressure)	5	Lisinopril (Blood pressure)

Top 5 Pediatrics Prescriptions
2010		2011
1	Amoxicillin (Antibiotic)	1	Amoxicillin (Antibiotic)
2	Zyrtec (Allergy)	2	Zithromax (Antibiotic)
3	Albuterol Sulfate (Asthma)	3	Albuterol Sulfate (Asthma)
4	Zithromax (Antibiotic)	4	Singulair (Asthma)
5	Motrin Children’s (ibuprofen)	5	Motrin Children’s (ibuprofen)

Top 5 Psychiatry Prescriptions
2010		2011
1	Prozac (Depression)	1	Trazodone (Bipolar disorder)
2	Wellbutrin (Depression)	2	Lexapro (Depression)
3	Zoloft (Depression)	3	Abilify (Depression)
4	Adderall (ADHD)	4	Adderall (ADHD)
5	Lexapro (Depression)	5	Cymbalta (Depression)

“Practice Fusion’s nationally representative dataset is just beginning to unlock new insights in the healthcare sector.” said Dr. Robert Rowley, Chief Medical Officer at Practice Fusion. “Data such as the Prescription Index can help to inform decisions on managing chronic disease, which currently accounts for $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare. Increasing the safety and efficacy of healthcare is a passion we share with our doctors.”

All research information utilized by Practice Fusion is fully de-identified and compliant with HIPAA cfr 164.514. Both electronic and printed prescriptions were included in the Prescription Index calculations. More information can be found at www.practicefusion.com/research.

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to physicians. With charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, billing, lab integrations, referral letters, Meaningful Use certification, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion’s EMR addresses the complex needs of today’s healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing EMR community in the country with more than 100,000 users serving 18 million patients. The company closed a $23 million Series B round of financing led by Founders Fund in April 2011. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit practicefusion.com.