San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 07, 2013
pMD announced that it has expanded its secure messaging feature with real time alerts and direct text messaging, streamlining communication all within its mobile charge capture app.
One of the more complex challenges that doctors are facing is finding ways to share patient information within their practice as quickly as possible, while also keeping PHI secure. pMD, whose mobile charge capture app allows providers to enter their billing charges and patient hand-off notes into their smartphones, gives doctors the ability to communicate efficiently by sharing information instantly and ensuring that sensitive patient information is secure and HIPAA compliant.
Many providers today are resorting to non-compliant forms of communication, like text messages or emails, in order to exchange sensitive patient information in real time. Additionally, stories about practices hit with exorbitant fines for HIPAA violations are becoming more commonplace and practices are scrambling to find secure messaging in light of the omnibus final rule, a recent modification to HIPAA regulations.
While pMD has always given doctors the ability to message securely and share patient information in real time, the company has now taken a direct approach by creating a multi-tiered alerts messaging system to notify doctors automatically as patient information is added to their census within pMD.
“The alerts feature gives our customers a safe and reliable way to message, with confirmation that the doctors have received and read the messages,” pMD CEO Philippe d’Offay said. “Our customers can do it all from within our software, where the doctors already manage their billing charges and patient information.”
The alerts notify doctors through text messages, and pMD for iOS 7 will also offer the alerts via Apple’s push notifications. When patient information is added from the pMD website or a hospital interface, that information appears in real time on the doctors’ phones. The alerts immediately notify doctors when these updates occur; for example, when a new patient is added to a doctor's rounding list. These alerts are automated and instantaneous and also provide confirmation that the doctors have received the updated information. This strengthens the doctor-office communication channel and improves security and responsiveness.
A subsequent direct text messaging functionality, expected to be released in late 2013, will give doctors even greater ability to send sensitive patient information quickly and securely by text message, all directly from the pMD app. Exchanging data in real time is an efficient and convenient form of communication and unlike generic text messages, pMD’s text messaging will be reliable, encrypted, and fully HIPAA compliant.
pMD’s mobile charge capture software supports physicians by allowing them to enter their patient charges into Android, iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini, and iPod Touch devices at the point of patient care. The patient visit is then visible to other doctors within the practice and can be billed immediately. Doctors using charge capture are increasing their ROI in a time where Medicare cuts, ICD-10, PQRS and other costs are significantly impacting profitability. pMD increases efficiencies in a practice through automation and secure text messaging, and it provides free interfaces with most major electronic medical records, hospital information, and medical billing systems, including Allscripts Pro PM, Allscripts Tiger, athenaCollector by athenahealth (athena), Cerner, Epic, GE Centricity (formerly Millbrook and IDX), MEDITECH, NextGen, and Vitera Intergy (Sage). For more information, visit pmd.com.