Quest Diagnostics Inc. Unveils Care360(TM) EHR Company Empowers Physicians to Embrace Digital Healthcare

MADISON, N.J., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Quest Diagnostics Incorporated , the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today introduced Care360(TM) 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.

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.

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.

"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."

"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."

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.

Quest Diagnostics Contacts:

Barb Short (Media): 973-520-2800

Kathleen Valentine (Investors): 973-520-2900

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated