Quest Diagnostics has entered into an agreement with AT&T to offer its electronic medical records suite through the telecommunications giant’s cloud-based computing service. The deal will make Quest’s Care360 electronic health information record available via AT&T’s Healthcare Community online, a cloud-based health information exchange. The agreement includes not only Quest’s electronic health records application, but also its laboratory ordering and e-prescription applications. AT&T will also sell Care360 as a standalone product. “Our relationship with AT&T is an example of how Quest is increasingly collaborating with top companies to develop new solutions for serving the complex needs of health care providers,” said Philip Present, general manager of Quest’s health care information technology service line. “Quest will extend the availability of its Care360 Solution to a far larger number of large physician practices, hospitals, and integrated delivery networks, including accountable care organizations.” Offering Care360 through AT&T’s cloud computing application is seen as a relatively low-cost solution for health care providers to obtain an electronic health records system without having to expend large amounts of money for extensive hardware and software applications. “This partnership will likely provide a more secure access to health data and promote care coordination with cost efficiencies,” said a […]
Quest Diagnostics has entered into an agreement with AT&T to offer its electronic medical records suite through the telecommunications giant’s cloud-based computing service.
The deal will make Quest’s Care360 electronic health information record available via AT&T’s Healthcare Community online, a cloud-based health information exchange.
The agreement includes not only Quest’s electronic health records application, but also its laboratory ordering and e-prescription applications. AT&T will also sell Care360 as a standalone product.
“Our relationship with AT&T is an example of how Quest is increasingly collaborating with top companies to develop new solutions for serving the complex needs of health care providers,” said Philip Present, general manager of Quest’s health care information technology service line. “Quest will extend the availability of its Care360 Solution to a far larger number of large physician practices, hospitals, and integrated delivery networks, including accountable care organizations.”
Offering Care360 through AT&T’s cloud computing application is seen as a relatively low-cost solution for health care providers to obtain an electronic health records system without having to expend large amounts of money for extensive hardware and software applications.
“This partnership will likely provide a more secure access to health data and promote care coordination with cost efficiencies,” said a recent report by Zacks Investment Research.
Quest spokesperson Wendy Bost said the deal with AT&T was nonexclusive, suggesting it may announce other partnerships in the near future. Bost declined to provide any financial information connected to the deal. She did note that it affords Quest “opportunities to extend our reach in key market segments.”
Zacks said the deal was part of Quest’s plan to expand its health care technology product line—a multipronged reorganization the New Jersey-based Quest announced late last year to streamline management and boost its sales.
However, the company remained unimpressed with Quest’s strategy to date. “The ongoing economic challenges in the economy as well as in the company are concerns,” Zacks said. It continued to rate Quest’s stock as a hold, noting that the company has continued to struggle with flat revenue and earnings.
