HealthRamp Electronic Prescribing Solutions On palmOne Devices Increase Quality Of Care, Cut Costs
NEW YORK, and MILPITAS, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- HealthRamp, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ramp Corporation , and palmOne, Inc. , the world's leading maker of handheld computers and maker of highly acclaimed smartphones, today announced that HealthRamp purchased more than 200 Wi-Fi enabled Tungsten(TM) C handhelds for deployment to doctors to enable the company's electronic prescribing initiatives with CarePoint. In June, HealthRamp and palmOne will co-sponsor a webinar focused on electronic prescribing and the increased quality of care and cost savings it can bring to physicians.
HealthRamp plans to increase the number of Tungsten C handhelds and Treo(TM) 600 smartphones tenfold as it continues an aggressive electronic prescribing campaign that began late in 2003, aimed at more than 35,000 physicians, more than 2,000 of whom are targeted for 2004 deployment.
HealthRamp develops and markets the CarePoint suite of technologies, which enables electronic prescribing, lab orders and results, Internet-based communication, data integration, and transaction processing over a handheld device(1) or browser at the point of care. palmOne works with partners, such as HealthRamp, to develop practical healthcare solutions that help deliver critical data to healthcare professionals at the point-of-care.
According to the eHealth Initiative's Electronic Prescribing Project, studies have shown that the U.S. healthcare system would save up to $29 billion by mandating the use of electronic prescribing solutions. With more than 3 billion prescriptions written annually using traditional paper-based methods, electronic prescribing could not only improve patient safety but could ultimately lead to better quality of care.
"The superior connectivity, performance and battery life of palmOne's products have compelled physicians to make devices such as the Tungsten C and the Treo 600 their point-of-care companions. The responsiveness of palmOne's technicians has enabled HealthRamp to effortlessly advance our CarePoint suite of technologies running on palmOne's Wi-Fi and smartphone devices," said Louis Hyman, chief technology officer and executive vice president of operations for HealthRamp.
"palmOne believes that electronic prescribing is a very important initiative, and we're committed to working with partners to speed up adoption by physicians," said Mike Lorion, vice president of vertical markets for palmOne. "We're pleased that HealthRamp is providing a solution on the palmOne(TM) platform that allows physicians to improve safety, accuracy and efficiency while cutting costs."
HealthRamp Study Finds Electronic Prescribing Increases Quality of Care and Streamlines Business Processes
In line with current industry research findings, a recent survey of CarePoint users and other doctors, conducted by HealthRamp, found that:
* Close to 70 percent of those surveyed find that electronic prescribing
on a handheld device saves time and money, reduces paperwork, and
reduces follow-up phone calls from patients and pharmacies.
* Physicians were pleased with CarePoint's ability to help improve the
level of patient care.
- Ninety-three percent feel strongly that CarePoint benefits their
patients.
- Eighty-four percent believe that CarePoint improves patient
safety. Doctors indicated a belief that patient safety
improvements can be achieved due to electronic prescribing's
ability to catch potential drug-to-drug interactions and limit
errors caused by pharmacies misreading hand-written prescriptions.
* Other benefits from point-of-care automation noted by surveyed
physicians include better formulary compliance, faster prescription
refills, and the ability to review patient medications when a chart is
not available.
Physicians Speak Out: CarePoint and palmOne Handhelds and Smartphones -- The Ideal Solution
"I've been using handhelds for years, personally and professionally, and the palmOne and CarePoint solution delivers my dream of full professional implementation, from writing a prescription at the point of care to delivery to the pharmacy and, in turn, the patient. CarePoint allows me to spend less time writing prescriptions and doing paperwork and more time with my patients. And if I can spend more time with my patients while still saving a minute or two for each patient overall, I'm making every minute count."
-- Dean Blakeley, M.D., Raleigh, N.C.
"Electronic medical records are the solution of the future. The HealthRamp solution is ideal -- low cost and easy to use and implement. And most physicians who are using handhelds are already using palmOne handhelds, so there's virtually nothing to learn. It is an easy solution that addresses key issues like patient safety. HealthRamp has the technology figured out, and palmOne devices are great."
-- Raymond Eugene Tidman, M.D., RiverStone MD, Blue Ridge, Ga.
HealthRamp and palmOne to Co-sponsor Electronic Prescribing Solutions Webinar
On June 9 at 11 a.m. Pacific, palmOne and HealthRamp will present a webinar focused on emerging technologies for point-of-care automation. Jason Barton, director of healthcare business for palmOne, and Louis Hyman, chief technology officer and executive vice president of operations for HealthRamp, will provide a demonstration of the CarePoint electronic prescribing solution on palmOne devices and offer insights into key implementation considerations. HealthRamp will also summarize results from its recent survey of the electronic prescribing market.
For more information on the palmOne and HealthRamp webinar and healthcare solutions from palmOne, please visit http://www.kohati.com/palmone/eprescribing.
About palmOne, Inc.
palmOne, Inc. delivers what matters most to customers -- whether a single consumer or company of thousands -- enabling users to improve their personal lives and professional productivity through mobile devices and solutions.
palmOne is the name adopted in October 2003 by Palm, Inc., when it spun off PalmSource, Inc., maker of the Palm OS(R) platform software, and acquired Handspring, Inc. Uniting the Zire(TM), Tungsten(TM) and Treo(TM) subbrands, the creation of palmOne launched a new, stronger market leader in handheld computer and communications hardware and software solutions.
More information about palmOne, Inc. is available at http://www.palmone.com/.
About Ramp Corporation
Ramp Corporation, through its wholly owned HealthRamp subsidiary, markets the CareGiver and CarePoint technology suites. CarePoint enables electronic prescribing, lab orders and results, Internet-based communication, data integration, and transaction processing over a handheld device or browser, at the point-of-care. CareGiver allows long term care facility staff to easily place orders for drugs, treatments and supplies from a wireless handheld PDA or desktop Internet web browser. HealthRamp's products enable communication of high value-added healthcare information among physician offices, pharmacies, hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers, health management organizations, pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies. HealthRamp's OnRamp division provides a state of the art telecommunications center that enables 24/7 communication between a medical practice and its patients. Additional information about Ramp, and its products and services, can be found at http://www.ramp.com/.
(1) Wireless access on Tungsten C handhelds may require a subscription, sold separately. Internet access may or may not be provided with the user's Wi-Fi network. An Internet service provider account, data service and carrier subscription may be required for Internet and email access on Treo 600 smartphones. These services may need to be purchased separately.
palmOne, Zire, Tungsten, Treo and Palm OS are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to palmOne, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.
Safe Harbor Statement: To the extent that any statements made in this press release contain information that is not historical, these statements are essentially forward-looking. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "plans," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified and, consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to raise capital to finance the development of its Internet services and related software, the effectiveness, profitability and the marketability of those services, the ability of the Company to protect its proprietary information and to retain and expand its user base, the establishment of an efficient corporate operating structure as the Company grows and, other risks detailed from time-to-time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements.
Ramp CorporationCONTACT: Andrew Brown of Ramp Corporation, +1-212-440-1548; or Erin Forsof A&R Partners, +1-650-533-3247, for palmOne, Inc.
Web site: http://www.palmone.com/
Web site: http://www.ramp.com/