LAS COLINAS, Texas & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--McKesson Corporation, which has been investing in technologies and services that create more efficiencies for healthcare providers, and Augmedix, a technology-enabled service for health systems and providers, announced the expansion of an innovative pilot between the Augmedix electronic health record (EHR) documentation platform and the McKesson oncology EHR iKnowMedSM.
New pilot programs are beginning with Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) and Virginia Oncology Associates (VOA), both practices in The US Oncology Network. The goal of the pilot is to provide more time for the physicians to meet and communicate with their cancer patients.
Augmedix outfits physicians with Glass eyewear from Alphabet's moonshot factory. The wearable technology is then used during patient exams, which streams audio/visual information from the clinic visit to an off-site team of tech-enabled scribes in a HIPAA-secure location. Trained scribes assist the physician and perform EHR documentation in real-time, saving the physician precious time. The physician then reviews and approves notes for the EHR. The system is dynamic in that the Augmedix team can communicate information back to the physician’s display on Glass. Augmedix also offers a smartphone-based solution for physicians who prefer not to use the Glass device.
VCS has utilized iKnowMed for more than six years as the EHR offers fast, easy sharing across the spectrum of care with the practice’s many systems through best-in-class interoperability. iKnowMed provides support in value-based care programs such as the Oncology Care Model (OCM), the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and other programs while improving the practice’s efficiency. This EHR platform is in use by approximately 2,200 providers in 175 practices across approximately 650 sites of care and it contains more than 6.5 million patient records documenting over 115 million patient visits. iKnowMed has been named the top-ranked EHR platform for oncologists and hematologists for seven years in a row by Black BookTM Research, an unbiased, industry-leading source for polling, surveys and market research.
“We’ve enjoyed the ease of use and rich information available in the iKnowMed EHR, and augmenting iKnowMed with Augmedix’s technology makes it even more powerful,” said Alexander I. Spira, M.D., medical oncologist with VCS. “I love that I can give more focus to observing and truly caring for my cancer patients. Not having to input all of my notes myself saves me time, making me more accessible and allowing me to treat a few more patients each day.”
Augmedix’s first deployment with The Network was in Willamette Valley Cancer Institute (WVCI) and Research Center based in Eugene, Oregon. In addition to WVCI, VCS and VOA, further use and adoption are anticipated at more oncology practices in The US Oncology Network next year.
About Augmedix
Augmedix frees doctors from mandated EHR charting, allowing them to focus instead on patient needs and quality care. Before entering the exam room, a doctor dons Glass (made by X, Alphabet's moonshot factory) and then proceeds to talk with patients, rather than burying their head in a computer screen. Forms, health history, lab orders, prescriptions and more are completed effortlessly using a tech-enabled remote scribes. The service is HIPAA-compliant, works with all EHRs, and increases doctor productivity by more than 30 percent. For more information, visit www.augmedix.com.
About The US Oncology Network
Every day, The US Oncology Network (The Network) helps more than 1,400 independent physicians deliver value-based, integrated care to patients — close to home. Through The Network, these independent doctors come together to form a community of shared expertise and resources dedicated to advancing local cancer care and to delivering better patient outcomes. The Network provides practices with access to coordinated resources, best business practices, and the experience, infrastructure and support of McKesson Corporation. This collaboration allows the providers in The Network to focus on the health of their patients, while McKesson focuses on the health of their practices. The Network is committed to the success of independent practices, everywhere.
About McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 6th on the FORTUNE 500, is a global leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, retail pharmacy, community oncology and specialty care, and healthcare information technology. McKesson partners with pharmaceutical manufacturers, providers, pharmacies, governments and other organizations in healthcare to help provide the right medicines, medical products and healthcare services to the right patients at the right time, safely and cost-effectively. United by our ICARE shared principles, our employees work every day to innovate and deliver opportunities that make our customers and partners more successful — all for the better health of patients. McKesson has been named the “Most Admired Company” in the healthcare wholesaler category by FORTUNE, a “Best Place to Work” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and a top military-friendly company by Military Friendly. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.
