InterSystems Corporation has announced that Partners HealthCare Systems is now providing clinicians throughout its integrated delivery network (IDN) with mobile access to its electronic health record (EHR). The InterSystems CACHÉ high-performance object database is the foundation platform for Partners HealthCare's EHR and for hundreds of clinical applications used by thousands of clinicians throughout the IDN.
"Partners' longstanding relationship with InterSystems and extensive use of CACHÉ and of the InterSystems Ensemble rapid integration and development platform means that we have a rich library of services built on CACHÉ-based repositories with Ensemble providing smooth integration of those services," said Steve Flammini, Partners CTO. "As a result, we were able to leverage the performance and scalability delivered by CACHÉ and Ensemble's advanced integration capabilities for this mobile project."
A high adoption rate of smartphones in the physician community at large was one driver behind the decision to develop a mobile EHR (mEHR). A May 2010 survey of more than 2,000 physicians nationwide by the Manhattan Research Institute, for example, revealed that an estimated 81% of physicians are using smartphones. And, a study entitled "Point of Care Communications for Physicians" published by Spyglass Consulting Group in July 2010 found that 94% of physician respondents are using smartphones to communicate, manage personal and business workflows, and access medical information. This high mobile technology adoption rate combined with a focus on improving clinician mobility and workflow put the mEHR initiative on a fast development track, according to Flammini. "The maturity of a related cluster of technologies including high-speed mobile processors, browsers, operating systems, battery, display technology, WiFi, 3G and 4G wireless and service-oriented architecture (SOA) also made the timing right for an mEHR," he said.
"Mobility is becoming a watchword in the healthcare sector," observes Paul Grabscheid, InterSystems vice president of Strategic Planning. "The Partners mEHR provides clinicians with the ultimate in mobility by delivering the information they want, when and where they want it, in the presentation form that they want and expect."
InterSystems Corporation is a global software leader with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and offices in 23 countries. For more information, visit InterSystems.com.
Partners HealthCare was founded in 1994 by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. For more information, go to www.partners.org.