MADISON, N.J., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Quest Diagnostics' (NYSE: DGX) healthcare information (IT) technology subsidiary MedPlus and the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest physician organization, today announced they are partnering to expand the adoption of health information technology by offering Care360™ EHR, a web-based electronic health record, on the AMA's new online platform for physicians. AMA's platform is currently being beta-tested in Michigan in collaboration with the Michigan State Medical Society and will be available nationally in 2011.

Physicians will be able to access Care360 EHR on the AMA's new single sign-on platform, which  will provide physicians with health IT products, resources and services without disrupting their existing workflows.

"We are proud that the AMA has selected Care360 EHR as a web-based EHR for its physician platform," said Richard A. Mahoney, Vice President of Healthcare Information Solutions for Quest Diagnostics and President of MedPlus, its healthcare information technology subsidiary. "Our goal is to provide flexible technology that lets physicians choose what they want when they want it, so that they can migrate to a full EHR solution at their own pace – and at a price they can afford."

"The AMA platform will help physicians make a smooth transition to an EHR by offering unique access to the tools and resources that can help improve the quality, efficiency and delivery of health care," said AMA Board Secretary Steven Stack, M.D. "We selected Care360 EHR because of its functionality and modular approach to implementing health information technology."

Care360 EHR's delivery platform reduces the need for expensive hardware or infrastructure, which shortens implementation time and reduces costs. Physicians can access secure patient information from any fixed or mobile Internet browser. With Care360 EHR, small and mid-sized health care practices can benefit from a wide variety of features, including ePrescribing, labs, clinical decision support, clinical encounter documentation and more. More than 70,000 physician locations and 160,000 physicians across the nation rely on the Care360 suite of products to help improve patient care and increase practice efficiencies. For those physicians using Care360 Labs & Meds for online lab ordering/results and ePrescribing, the transition to Care360 EHR is simple, building upon their existing Care360 platform.

Visit www.Care360.com to learn more about Care360 solutions and Quest Diagnostics. To download Care360 Mobile for the iPhone or iPod Touch, visit the Medical Applications section of the Apple Apps Store.

About the American Medical Association

The American Medical Association helps doctors help patients by uniting physicians nationwide to work on the most important professional, public health and health policy issues. The nation's largest physician organization plays a leading role in shaping the future of medicine. For more information on the AMA, please visit www.ama-assn.org.

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. MedPlus is a leading developer and integrator of clinical connectivity and healthcare information exchange solutions designed to foster better patient care and improve business performance for health care institutions, physicians and patients. The company's Care360™ platform is used by more than 160,000 physicians in more than 70,000 locations. 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 140 hospitals and integrated health care delivery networks and has more than 400,000 users. For more information, visit www.MedPlus.com.

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics