Law Students

EHRs: Coming to a Cloud Near You?

Salesforce.Com getting into the EMR Business? Invests in Practice Fusion. As discussed here, there are perhaps many compelling reasons for a provider or facility to select a "cloud based" (read software-as-a-service or SaaS) solution for their EHR implementation, not the least of which is reducing the amount of technology complexity that would otherwise be placed directly on their shoulders.

Heathcare providers need to get out of the IT business and focus on their value propositions (i.e. the delivery of competitively priced high quality care). For a more extended look at potential Saas solutions for small practices click here. For reasons that are far less obvious, a SaaS solution may in fact reduce a provider's compliance burden as well.

Subsequent posts will cover how SaaS solutions contribute to a significant reduction in compliance complexity in more detail, BUT today's EHR announcement by Saleforce.com, arguably the 800 pound gorilla in the SaaS space, is clearly a harbinger of things to come.

Look for Google and Microsoft to step up their HIT investments. Both giants clearly perceive healthcare as a growth industry. Huge investments (and they have billions) by these two players could dramatically alter the HIT landscape. 

Electronic health records are indeed coming to a cloud near you. If you would like more information regarding EHR implementations, and related compliance issues, sign up for our FREE HITECH/HIPAA Compliance Newsletter.

Full post as published by LawTechTV on August 05, 2009 (boomark / email).