Kal Korff

General Electric Improves Cloud-based Patient Info

by Kal K. Korff
Internationally Syndicated Copyright 2012 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

As cloud computing becomes an increasingly important and essential part of healthcare worldwide, General Electric has upped the competitive ante by improving its online offerings for patients and doctors. GEs new version of their Centricity Patient Online service, release number 13, is a flexible, scalable, and highly configurable patient portal designed for large healthcare organizations, the company claims. By extending the provider workflow to the patients home with a range of easy-to-use self-service tools, Patient Online enhances patient communications, optimizes staff and provider productivity, and can help strengthen the providers market and competitive position. It helps customers meet Meaningful Use Stage 1 patient and family engagement criteria and prepare them for expected Stage 2 requirements. GE is marketing their new Centricity Patient Online release 13 as part of its healthymagination vision and series of products designed to improve healthcare. The software and its new services are released by GE Healthcare, located in the UK. GEs Patient Online series is already being used in more than 100 countries. Some of the improvements which make Centricity Patient Online 13 a significant upgrade over all previous incarnations are its capabilities which empower patients to now use their own personal computer or mobile devices to perform basic but essential services such as making appointments, managing their medical information, filling out forms, sending messages, making online payments, facilitating alert messages or reminders to take medicines.

Called eVisits, much of the advanced preparatory work done previously only during the physical visit by a patient to their doctors office or healthcare facility, consuming precious hospital time, can now be dispensed with and taken care of well in advance. The features in this release include impressive workflow enhancements, improved bidirectional patient communication and patient-directed security controls, claims Denise Cuddeback, the Assistant Vice-President with the Carolinas Physician Network. Cuddeback says that ever since her firm started using Centricity Patient Online, the noshows of patients has dropped to just 1%. GE claims that its new software is compatible and interoperates with virtually every electronic medical record (EMR) which uses industry standards. Cloud based services are increasingly becoming the norm in todays healthcare industry. By making essential services and even access to doctors available with a simple Internet or mobile connection, even remote areas difficult to reach physically can be serviced. If a small village has only one doctor but needs the expertise of other physicians who do not exist in any nearby region, being able to reach needed experts via online technology improves situations where local assistance may not exist. Cloud computing, in addition to connecting people and facilitating the access, storage and movement of vital information, also has the benefit of involving people more in their healthcare experience. Not only does it improve their knowledge of their own health related issues, it also gives them a greater stake in their own affairs. Instead of just being told what to do and when to take whatever medicines, patients are now much more involved than ever before and act more as partners. 1.0v1 February 19, 2012 Kal K. Korff is an officially accredited internationally known author, columnist and investigative journalist.

Copyright 2012 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this content may be reproduced in any form nor by any means without the express, written consent of Kal Korff. Fair use, does NOT apply. By reading this document, you willingly agree to be legally bound by its terms and conditions. Violators of this policy will have a felony DMCA Copyright infringement notice filed against them with law enforcement. First time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both. This is a DMCA protected document, illegal copying and/or reproduction of its contents are tracked on the Internet and reported to law enforcement for felony prosecution.

Copyright 2012 by Kal K. Korff - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this content may be reproduced in any form nor by any means without the express, written consent of Kal Korff. Fair use, does NOT apply. By reading this document, you willingly agree to be legally bound by its terms and conditions. Violators of this policy will have a felony DMCA Copyright infringement notice filed against them with law enforcement. First time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both. This is a DMCA protected document, illegal copying and/or reproduction of its contents are tracked on the Internet and reported to law enforcement for felony prosecution.