QuadraMed takes paper records online through ChartOne.com

Spin-off extends HIS firm’s Web portal plans

QuadraMed, a provider of health information systems and Web-based data management software, plans to leverage its expertise in online healthcare and its installed customer base with a new subsidiary and a unique approach to online medical records designed to be less disruptive to existing physician workflow patterns. The San Rafael, CA-based company recently formed ChartOne.com, a spin-off that will capture patient charts at the point of completion and provide record retrieval and storage services via the Internet.

ChartOne, headquartered in San Jose, CA, will offer an as-yet- unnamed product that will electronically capture paper records through digital imaging and data feeds. The records will then be stored online and made accessible using standard Web browsers on standard PCs. By imaging paper records at the point of completion and then making them electronically available, ChartOne expects to provide a more efficient, cost-effective way to capture, store, and manage patient records with less workflow disruption than current imaging or storage alternatives.

“We all know that electronic patient records will be the ideal solution, but the fact is this has been discussed for at least 15 years and we don’t see any near-term change in lack of adoption,” said Jim Durham, chairman and CEO of QuadraMed. “Since meaningful use of online medical record systems has failed to materialize, we believe that the ideal solution for now is to scan the patient record and then offer Internet-based imaging, storage, and access.”

ChartOne is already beginning to market its flagship product, which will likely operate via an application service provider model. The archiving component, which is still undergoing beta testing, is being handled through QuadraMed’s existing data centers at the moment, but the company expects that once volumes increase they will likely offload this service to another archiving vendor.

In addition to establishing ChartOne, QuadraMed is looking to form strategic partnerships and joint ventures to further its overall strategy of linking integrated delivery networks and hospitals to their various constituents using Web-enabled products and services. The company handles more than five million medical records annually in 40 states and claims to have products in more than 4000 provider sites.

“ChartOne represents an extension of our strategy to become a Web portal for hospitals by linking multiple constituents, including physicians, patients, insurers, and government agencies,” Durham said. “One of our problems as a company is that we have a lot of Internet initiatives, but we are not viewed as an Internet company.”

QuadraMed is hoping that its new subsidiary and workflow products will bolster its bottom line as well. The company reported a net loss of $12.3 million on revenue of $239 million for 1999 (end-December). This compares to a net loss of $19 million on revenue of $210 million in 1998.

© 2000 Miller Freeman, Inc., a United News & Media company.

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