Medical Society, Microsoft, Covisint to Expand Health Care Tech

The Michigan State Medical Society Wednesday announced a collaboration with Microsoft Corp., Compuware subsidiary Covisint and MedImpact Healthcare Systems Inc., to be first in the nation to provide statewide connectivity of medical and pharmacy data for Michigan.

Patients and physicians who use the medical society's electronic portal, MSMS Connect, will now have access to critical health care data in one location -- Microsoft HealthVault. This new collaboration expands MSMS' nation-leading effort to help implement electronic health care technology statewide.

Approximately 3.5 million patients in Michigan receive their pharmacy benefits through MedImpact, the nation's largest pharmacy benefit management company that does not sell drugs. Now, patients will be enabled to easily view their prescription information through HealthVault and MSMS Connect. In addition, with patient permission, physicians also will have access to this information through MSMS Connect, enabled through Covisint's cloud-based technologies.

"What an exciting opportunity for physicians and patients in Michigan," said Gregory J. Forzley, MD, chair of the MSMS board of directors. "This puts the patient's medication history at the fingertips of the physician through a simple, secure internet connection into MSMS Connect without the need for electronic prescribing software or an electronic medical record. Not only will this help streamline health care delivery, it also offers patients access to their own information so they can work with their physicians to make informed, timely and cost-effective choices."

"Integrated access to health information is critical for patients and their care providers as they make important health decisions," said James Mault, MD, director of new products and business development for Microsoft's Health Solutions Group. "This collaboration represents a new generation of patient-centered health care services that empowers Michigan physicians with access to their patients' health records to deliver better quality care with greater efficiency, while improving patient health outcomes."

When fully implemented into MSMS Connect, the addition of HealthVault will enable patients to store their individual health data, or their whole family's health record, in one location at no cost. Through HealthVault, which is built on a privacy- and security-enhanced foundation, patients will have complete control over their electronic health data and can give permission to their physicians and other health care providers to view it. Patients can access data from their physicians, health plans, and pharmacies, as well as upload information from medical devices that monitor a number of factors including heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar.

"While everyone in Washington is dreaming about increasing health care technology, MSMS, in collaboration with technology giants Microsoft, Covisint and MedImpact, is making it happen for Michigan physicians and the patients they serve," Forzley said. "MSMS is working to make health care technology easier to adopt and more effective for all health care stakeholders to use."

For more information about the medical society's single sign-on electronic portal, MSMS Connect, go to www.msms.org and click on the MSMS Connect icon at the top of the home page.