One of the market leaders in EHRs for solo and small practices has launched a native version for mobile devices, giving doctors a better avenue to an mHealth-enabled office.
San Francisco-based Practice Fusion has optimized its free, cloud-based EHR platform for iOS and Android-based tablets. Company officials say the applications feature the same capabilities as the desktop version, giving the company's 112,000+ clients access to e-prescribing and lab/imaging partners, among other things.
“This launch further extends our position as the most dominant, fastest innovating EHR,” company founder and CEO Ryan Howard said in a press release. “In addition to having the largest patient-provider community in the country, Practice Fusion is the only EHR available where providers have the ability to quickly and securely access their free EHR on a variety of platforms. This independence empowers providers to use whichever device or platform helps them provide the best possible patient care.”
The announcement is the latest in a slow but steady migration of EHR vendors to digital capabilities, giving physicians the means to communicate with colleagues and access medical records from their tablet or smartphone. Recent surveys have shown that more than 80 percent of physicians own a mobile device of some sort, while close to three-quarters are using them in their practice.
While announcing its move to mobility, Practice Fusion also touted its popularity among small and solo practices, where mHealth tools hold strong promise for sustainability and business growth. According to a survey by AmericanEHR, a partner of the American College of Physicians, the company's EHR is "the dominant product" in the market for offices of 1-3 clinicians.
