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Upbox, a provider of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for independent medical practices, announced that Practice Fusion, a developer of free, Web-based electronic health record (EHR) technology, will implement the Updox Direct Secure Email platform for Stage 2 Meaningful Use to its physician-patient community.
Updox offers EHR providers a single platform for CRM capabilities geared for independent physicians and medical practices. By managing practice communications, physicians and their staff can receive patient messages, direct messages and other information into one universal inbox.
“Practice Fusion is committed to its mission of connecting doctors, patients and data to drive better health and save lives. We elected to team with Updox because it offers our medical professionals a solution that solves multiple problems and helps further integrate the health care ecosystem through our platform,” Ryan Howard, founder and CEO of Practice Fusion, said in a statement. “Updox is a proven player and we’re pleased to offer their services to our doctors and the patients they serve.”
The Updox platform is designed to help practices benefit through improved relationships with patients and other providers, increased revenues, reduced costs and enhanced business efficiencies.
The platform’s patient portal allows patients to interact with medical practices through the Web to schedule appointments, complete forms, make payments, securely message the doctor’s office and access their medical history, including lab results and continuity of care documents.
In addition, the CRM features offered by Updox also support physicians through referral management and patient marketing.
“We’re very excited to deliver Updox services via Practice Fusion and reach the largest single group of medical professionals on one platform,” Sean Ramsey, president of Updox, said in a statement. “We have a proven benefit of lowering expenses, reducing administrative time, improving cash flow and increasing patient satisfaction, and we’re confident that Practice Fusion professionals will see an immediate benefit from using Updox.”
Up to 17 percent of health care professionals are looking to change their EHR platforms, according to a survey of nearly 17,000 active EHR users last year by Black Book Rankings, a marketing research firm.
Health care professionals, including physicians, clinicians and health care professionals at hospitals, clinics and in-patient surgery centers, say their EHR applications aren’t meeting their needs as far as system features, implementations, deliverables and client support.
Of health professionals interviewed, 79 said their practice did not adequately assess their needs before choosing their health-record application.