Physician IT

CanadianEMR launches physician resource directory

VANCOUVER – CanadianEMR (www.canadianemr.ca), Canada’s comprehensive source of information on electronic medical records and related software, hardware and services, has launched a physician resource directory.

The directory consists of Vendor Profiles that can be browsed and searched by name, category and province to help physicians and practice managers quickly and easily find EMR-related products and services. CanadianEMR has over 1,000 registered users representing physicians who are currently using EMR systems or considering the purchase of an EMR.

In response to a growing need for information on additional products and services related to their decision to implement an EMR system, CanadianEMR has developed this new directory service. In a survey conducted in May 2008, physicians and practice managers were asked to rank their interest in approximately 25 categories of products and services needed to support the EMR based practice.

Survey results:

• All respondents to the survey showed a strong interest in a variety of hardware categories, ranging from monitors at 74% to computers, laptops and tablets at 81%. Other categories of interest include network installation (73%), Internet access (72%), services surrounding medical charts (69%), support for home access to EMR systems (67%) and dictation and transcription software/services (63%)

• Physicians considering an EMR had a greater than average interest in all of the hardware categories (on average 10 percentage points higher), but a lower interest in services surrounding management of paper charts (58%).

• Physicians currently using an EMR had the most interest in services surrounding paper medical records (77%). This reflects the need for solutions that solve the problem of consolidating paper charts with electronic records.

• Practice managers had similar category interests to the physicians considering an EMR; however 100% wanted more information on computer hardware, laptops and tablet PCs and 71% wanted more information and services to assist with the installation and support of networks in a physician office.

The resource directory provides vendors with full control over the content that is displayed about their companies. It also provides a link to the company web site, a contact vendor feature and the ability to designate provinces in which they provide services in one or more categories. Priced from $199/month, the vendor directory has been designed to appeal to small, medium and large companies that provide services to the physician market.

CanadianEMR is in early development of a social ‘commercial’ networking capability between EMR vendors and Resource Directory companies. According to CanadianEMR founder, Dr. Alan Brookstone (pictured), “This will allow companies to create natural business links and will open new channels of business for companies that have traditionally had a difficult time reaching this market.”

As the database becomes richer, an additional feature will allow networks of physicians to create their own lists of recommended vendors.

Vendors currently available in the directory include DOCUdavit Solutions, Expedite Transcription Services, InfoClin, Information Managers, Nexus IT, Polar Imaging, Rosterware, Speakeasy Solutions, Talk 2 Me Technology and Calgary Scientific.

For further information, visit www.canadianemr.ca or contact sales@canadianemr.ca.