Physician IT

Nightingale launches web-based patient portal

MARKHAM, Ont. – Nightingale Informatix Corporation, a provider of electronic medical record (EMR) software and related services, announced the launch of Nightingale Priority Access, a web-based information and communication portal that can securely link patients across Canada with doctors who are using Nightingale’s ASP EMR solution.

“We believe Priority Access will facilitate better and more efficient healthcare across Canada,” said Sam Chebib, President and CEO of Nightingale. “Most Canadians interact with the healthcare system at the clinic level, but it can be very difficult to get face-to-face time with a doctor. Our web-based portal helps physicians and patients to communicate more conveniently and provides patients with tools that enable them to take an increasingly active role in their own healthcare.”

Priority Access is a highly secure web portal that provides patients with direct, online access to their physicians and their physicians’ office administrators. The innovative platform enables patients to schedule appointments as well as review and download their complete medical history, including prescriptions, allergy and medical assessments, via the Internet.

Patients can also receive their lab results electronically, request prescription refills, consult with their physician online and access pertinent health-related educational material provided by their doctor. In addition, Priority Access can alert patients when they are due for a visit or a clinical procedure to help keep treatment plans on track, or as part of a normal health maintenance regime.

Unlike other personal health record products, Nightingale Priority Access is not populated and maintained by the patient. It is an aggregation of real clinical data that resides in the physician’s records for patients and their families.

“The launch of Priority Access is a key strategic step for Nightingale, as it extends our reach into the patient marketplace,” Mr. Chebib added. “There is growing demand from patients for direct access to their own health information. We are the only company in Canada with this complete of an offering, and we already have a sizable base of patient records under management on our ASP EMR platform. As such, we believe we are well positioned to become a leading provider of personal health record technology solutions.”

Priority Access is available through physician clinics that are using Nightingale’s ASP EMR technology. Physicians can offer all or various components of the service to their patients for a nominal fee, on a subscription basis.

With Nightingale’s online portal, doctors can efficiently enhance the level of care they provide to their patients, while reducing operating costs and receiving additional direct compensation for services otherwise not covered by provincial health insurance plans. Prior to this broad public launch, Nightingale Priority Access was in use by several hundred Canadian patients over a period of 18 months.

About Nightingale
Nightingale is one of the fastest growing healthcare service and software companies in North America with over 5.3 million patient records under management in a hosted (ASP) environment. It is recognized as an industry leader in Web-based clinician and community based electronic medical records (EMR) serving the needs of small primary care practices, multi-physician outpatient clinics, and large scale regional health organizations and networks.
Coupled with integrated practice management, transcription and revenue cycle management, Nightingale’s comprehensive service offering allows customers to enhance patient care, increase revenue opportunities and optimize operations. Nightingale is continuously innovating and enhancing its services to meet the needs of its growing and diverse customer base. For more information, see www.nightingale.md.