MedPlus Maintains Top Ranking in KLAS Industry Report
ChartMaxx® Delivers Benefits to Leading Hospitals Across the Entire Clinical Care Setting
PRNewswire
MADISON, N.J.
(NYSE:DGX)

MADISON, N.J., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), announced today that it has been recognized as the health care industry's number one Document Management & Imaging (DMI) vendor for its ChartMaxx® enterprise-wide electronic patient record system in the KLAS (1) Enterprise DMI: Finding the Right Stepping-Stone to Full EMR report issued on October 2, 2009 (www.KLASresearch.com). ChartMaxx provides health care institutions with the ability to scan, interface, create, archive, electronically validate, and view stored documents and images.

KLAS, an independent research firm, bases its rankings on interviews with healthcare executives, professionals and clinicians at more than 4,500 hospitals and 2,500 clinics. KLAS independently monitors vendor performance through the active participation of thousands of healthcare organizations and uses a stringent methodology to ensure all data and ratings are accurate, honest and impartial.

"This recognition is a testament to our commitment to serving the needs of leading hospital providers," said Richard Mahoney, president of MedPlus and vice president of Healthcare Information Solutions at Quest Diagnostics. "We will continue to deliver a best-in-breed solution which enables our customers to streamline their operations throughout the hospital and across the enterprise."

ChartMaxx was recognized for its flexibility to perform in all departments of the institution, including patient accounting, registration, health information management (HIM), and legal. "ChartMaxx is used throughout the hospital as the official electronic medical record, so every department relies on ChartMaxx to retain patient information," said a KLAS survey respondent. "It is used in patient registration, on the nursing floors, by case management, by quality review, and in the business office. It is a wonderful product that is highly customizable."

Clinicians also noted ChartMaxx's easy-to-use design. "We like how patient records are categorized and presented in ChartMaxx," said a KLAS survey respondent. "It is easy to show a new user how to bring up a record and use the tabs to review information. It is wonderful to watch a new employee run with the software after only a few minutes of training."

MedPlus also provides a strong support and implementation staff to its customers. "MedPlus provided some of the best training I have ever experienced. They had very good training material that was easy to understand," said a KLAS survey respondent. "We have been able to refer back to it several times. Also, they knew the product and the medical profession backwards and forwards."

MedPlus received an overall score of 88.2 out of 100 compared to the average score of 80.8 among the other nine vendors in the report. MedPlus also received the 'Best in KLAS' ranking for Document Management and Imaging in the 2008 Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Professional Services and the 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2002 reports.

Today, ChartMaxx has more than 300,000 users managing 160 million patient records at more than 100 hospitals and integrated health care delivery systems throughout North America and Canada.

About KLAS

KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors, and vendors. Working together with executives from over 4500 hospitals and over 2500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends, and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures performance of software, professional services, and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.

About ChartMaxx®

ChartMaxx is an enterprise-wide electronic health record solution built on a document management and imaging foundation that enables healthcare organizations to enhance performance by improving patient care and maximizing business results through the efficient collection, access, and use of clinical, financial and administrative information. Immediate, concurrent access to information makes ChartMaxx a key component in the efficient management of patient records and processes. The solution provides the tools hospitals need to accelerate turnaround time for chart completion, allow clinicians 24/7 remote access to medical records, enable electronic patient registration, utilize remote coding, automate release of information, and maximize electronic information access across the entire facility. ChartMaxx has been implemented in more than 100 hospitals and clinics throughout the United States and Canada. Additional ChartMaxx product information is available at: www.MedPlus.com.

About MedPlus

MedPlus, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics®. MedPlus is a leading developer and integrator of clinical connectivity and healthcare information exchange solutions that foster better patient care and improve business performance for healthcare institutions, physicians and patients. The company's Centergy Clinical Portal & Data Exchange Engine and ChartMaxx® solutions efficiently and securely collect, store, manage and integrate clinical information within an organization, enterprise, practice or community. Centergy enables clinicians to access patient data in a centralized view aggregated from multiple care sites. ChartMaxx, the award-winning electronic patient record system, has been implemented in more than 100 hospitals and integrated healthcare delivery networks and has more than 300,000 users. For more information, visit www.MedPlus.com.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics is the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services that patients and doctors need to make better healthcare decisions. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic testing services through its network of laboratories and patient service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is a pioneer in developing innovative new diagnostic tests and advanced healthcare information technology solutions that help improve patient care. Additional company information is available at: www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

(1) KLAS Confidential Information. © 2009 KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved.

Quest Diagnostics Contacts:

    Barb Short (Media): 973-520-2800
    Kathleen Valentine (Investors): 973-520-2900

SOURCE: Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

Web site: http://www.questdiagnostics.com/