MADISON, N.J., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today introduced Care360™ EHR (Electronic Health Record), the next evolution of its innovative Care360 platform used by the company's growing base of 150,000 connected physicians. Unveiled at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society 2010 (HIMSS10) Annual Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, the Web-based solution enables physicians to simply embrace the benefits of digital healthcare without large capital costs or disruption to office workflow.

"Quest Diagnostics is making broadly available a Web-based EHR that helps physicians embrace digital healthcare one step at a time, connect easily with their peers on patient care, and achieve meaningful use that allows them to qualify for government incentives," said Richard A. Mahoney, Quest Diagnostics' vice president of Healthcare Information Solutions and president of its MedPlus healthcare information technology subsidiary. "We value the longstanding trust physicians have in our company, and we are proud to answer physicians' needs with a modular technology that will truly help drive meaningful improvements in quality of care." MedPlus develops the technologies that power the Care360 suite of physician offerings.

This announcement reinforces Quest Diagnostics' leadership position as a trusted and knowledgeable innovator of clinical IT solutions, and underscores the company's deep understanding of the information physicians value, and how they expect to access and use it to ensure quality patient care. More than twenty percent of U.S. physicians—and many of the country's leading hospitals, health plans, and regional health information exchanges—currently rely on the company's health care information solutions to provide better patient care.

Historically, EHR adoption in the United States has been very low, largely driven by high costs and difficulties around usability. Though eighty percent of the nation's patient care is delivered in small practices, most EHR offerings do not address the needs of the small-practice physician. The features and functionality of Care360 were developed using feedback Quest Diagnostics gathered from hundreds of physicians across the United States. Care360 EHR was specifically designed with the needs of the small practice in mind. It helps physicians embrace technology without incurring large capital costs or practice disruptions, including such features as patient demographics, clinical notes, problem lists, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. Care360 EHR can generate a complete record of a clinical patient encounter, and automate and streamline the clinician's workflow.

To help the industry move forward in the absence of final meaningful use guidelines, Quest Diagnostics is offering all physicians a 90-day free trial period to adopt the Care360 EHR or ePrescribing solution. The company is committed that its Care360 EHR will fully comply with the EHR certification criteria once they are established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and is offering special pre-certification pricing until government meaningful use standards have been set. Under the terms of the promotion, physicians have the opportunity to try either Care360 EHR or Care360 ePrescribing free for a 90-day period. At the conclusion of the 90-day trial period, subscription rates will apply.

Care360 EHR is based on a modular architecture, allowing physicians to incrementally adopt new functionality at their own pace. Physician practices can transition from paper to electronic records over time, starting with Care360 Labs & Meds, with the option of Care360 ePrescribing, then moving to Care360 EHR when the practice is ready. Upgrading from one solution to the next is as simple as activating the additional modules, and scheduling training at a convenient time. Because the Care360 EHR is completely Web-based, the implementation timeline and the total cost of ownership is reduced. Physicians can access secure patient information anywhere, anytime and from any internet browser, and can view lab results and medical history as well as ePrescribe from their Apple® iPhone® or iPod touch®.  

"One factor that influenced our doctors to choose Care360 EHR is that Quest Diagnostics was behind it," said Dr. Paulo Andre of Metro West in Boston, who began using Care360 Labs & Meds and Care360 ePrescribing before adopting Care360 EHR. "It's available online from anywhere. I use it in three different hospitals when I'm on call. Each time I need to get a piece of information regarding one of my patients, I just enter the name of the patient to get the information I need. I can check prior lab results, MRIs, my notes, or my colleagues' notes, and make a clinical decision very fast. It's a very easy interface. I tried other systems, and Care360 EHR is definitely the best."

At the heart of all Care360 solutions is the On Demand Software as a Service (SAAS) model, which ensures key health information technology (HIT) applications are kept in compliance with certified standards, constantly available, and managed for performance by Quest Diagnostics experts. The complexities and costs of managing applications are minimized through ASP-based downloadable services, 24/7 technical support, network security and integrated support for business continuity and flexible mobile networking. A signature feature of the Care360 suite of offerings is its interoperability, and its ability to interface with hundreds of EMRs and other HIT technologies already in use or being sold into physician offices.

"Our Care360 EHR is an excellent solution for primary care physicians in small and mid-sized practices. Care360 provides an easy migration path for all physicians today, but it is also a system that is built for the future," Mahoney explained. "Because Care360 is interoperable, it offers the connectivity opportunities that States, Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and Regional Extension Centers need to demonstrate fast physician adoption of technology. Care360 makes it easy and attractive for the physician to embrace, and makes it seamless and affordable for incorporation into broader healthcare architectures."

Visit www.Care360.com for more information about Quest Diagnostics' Care360 solutions. To download Care360 Mobile for the iPhone or iPod Touch, visit the Apple Apps Store, medical applications.

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 diagnostic tests and advanced healthcare information technology solutions that help improve patient care. Additional company information is available at www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

About MedPlus

MedPlus, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. MedPlus is a leading developer and integrator of clinical connectivity and health care information exchange solutions designed to foster better patient care and improve business performance for health care institutions, physicians and patients. The company's Centergy™ 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 company's award-winning DMI and electronic patient record system, has been implemented in more than 100 hospitals and integrated health care delivery networks and has more than 300,000 users. For more information, visit www.MedPlus.com.

Quest Diagnostics Contacts:

Barb Short (Media): 973-520-2800

Kathleen Valentine (Investors): 973-520-2900

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated