SAN RAMON, Calif. and EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill Physicians Medical Group, California’s largest Independent Practice Association (IPA) with over 2,600 physicians, and RelayHealth Corporation, the nation’s premier provider of health plan-reimbursed online doctor-patient communication services, today announced renewal and expansion of their agreement for licensing of RelayHealth’s comprehensive suite of doctor-patient e-communication, e-prescribing, and e-referral services.
Over 600 of Hill Physicians’ primary care physicians and 12,000 of its patients have already registered for the RelayHealth service. Since the service was initiated, RelayHealth has secured over 140,000 doctor-patient message, e-prescriptions, and e-referrals on behalf of Hill Physicians and its members.
The contract renewal and expansion underscore Hill Physicians’ commitment to improving the delivery of medical services through electronic innovation. In February, Hill Physicians announced plans to deploy the nation’s largest private EMR system, using solutions provided by NextGen(R) Healthcare Information Systems. Two pilot locations are already operational. RelayHealth and Hill Physicians will interface the RelayHealth service with the IPA’s EMR, enabling interoperability and secure storage of electronic messages in the patient chart.
“We’re constantly seeking ways to improve the daily practice of medicine, for both providers and patients. That’s why we’re building upon our existing relationship with RelayHealth,” explained Steve McDermott, chief executive officer at Hill Physicians Medical Group. “In working with RelayHealth, we’ve seen that online healthcare is an efficient way to increase patient access, improve safety, provide health education, and deliver better service.”
A study published in the February issue of The Journal of General Internal Medicine reported that medical practices using RelayHealth experienced 18% fewer phone calls than comparison practices.(1) A companion study published in the Spring issue of The Journal of Healthcare Information Management found that practices using RelayHealth saw a 10% boost in physician productivity.(2) As a result of Hill Physicians’ efforts, an increasing number of California Health Plans cover the RelayHealth webVisits(R) as a reimbursed benefit. While California is the first state with three such health plan programs, the number of health plans offering similar webVisit reimbursement programs is growing nationwide, particularly in Massachusetts, New York, and Florida.
“For me, RelayHealth has meant fewer work interruptions. Online, I can respond to messages in ‘batch’, which is far more efficient. My patients find it a very convenient way to access me-bypassing voicemail, receptionists, and sometimes even an office visit,” said Roy Greenberg, MD, a family practitioner with Hill Physicians who communicates with approximately 1,400 of his patients regularly through RelayHealth. “The great majority of my patients just love it.” Dr. Greenberg’s use of the RelayHealth service was recently profiled nationally on NBC’s Today Show.
Hill Physicians has incorporated RelayHealth into its internal quality-based incentive program, and found it valuable for maximizing scores under the statewide Pay for Performance Initiative, sponsored by California’s Integrated Healthcare Association.
“Hill Physicians Medical Group has built one of the most successful and innovative online healthcare programs in the country. We’re honored to have the opportunity to work with such an industry-class organization,” said Giovanni Colella, MD, president and chief executive officer of RelayHealth. “With Hill Physicians, we’ve built a partnership predicated on collaborative innovation, and focused on quick, creative responses to opportunities. We look forward to more shared success in the coming years.”
About Hill Physicians Medical Group
Hill Physicians Medical Group is Northern California’s largest Independent Practice Associations (IPA), serving 400,000 patients between San Francisco, Sacramento, and Stockton. Hill Physicians is also a recognized leader in quality and innovation in health care. Committed to supporting healthy lifestyles, the company offers its enrollees extensive health education services including wellness classes, health screenings, and self-help through http://www.hillhealth.com/, its online health information portal. More information can be found at http://www.hillphysicians.com/.
About RelayHealth Corporation
RelayHealth is the premier provider of secure online healthcare communication services linking patients, healthcare professionals, payors, and pharmacies. RelayHealth’s Web-based, doctor-patient messaging platform connects doctors and their patients efficiently, affordably, and securely. Tuned for both small and large group practice environments, the RelayHealth(R) service improves and streamlines healthcare delivery and access through modular features-like the webVisit(R) clinical consultation-which tackle complex issues unique to the healthcare market, including clinical structure, practice workflow, and reimbursement. More secure and efficient than telephone or e-mail, RelayHealth combines HIPAA-ready messaging and eScript(R) end-to-end electronic prescribing for the most seamless, comprehensive, and powerful messaging platform available to healthcare professionals and their patients. For information, visit http://www.relayhealth.com/.
(1) Liederman, E, et al. The Impact of Patient-Physician Web Messaging on Provider Productivity. Journal of Healthcare Information Management 2005; 19; 2: 81-86.
(2) Liederman, E, et al. Patient-Physician Web Messaging The Impact on Message Volume and Satisfaction. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2005; 20 (1)
RelayHealth Corporation
CONTACT: Briana Pompei of RelayHealth, +1-510-428-7853, orbriana.pompei@relayhealth.com; or Steve McDermott of Hill Physicians,+1-925-838-6101, or steve.mcdermott@hpmg.com
Web site: http://www.hillphysicians.com/
Web site: http://www.relayhealth.com/