Article - May 5, 2008 - NephrOnline

The Renal Business Beat
Fresenius joins the electronic health record market

By Bittina Larson

Living in a world where technology is constantly changing, it seems everyone wants a piece of the pie. This rings specially true when it comes to healthcare, where technology not only saves time, but closes the margin for human-error. E-giants like Google and Microsoft are working to create products that are consumer-based, and healthcare companies are developing products to serve specialties in their specific marketplaces.

Fresenius Medical Care North America announced May 1 that their electronic health record software, Acumen v.5 ambulatory, has been approved by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) and met the Commission’s ambulatory EHR criteria for 2007.

CCHIT – an independent, nonprofit organization – is the recognized certification body in the United States for certifying health information technology products. As a CCHIT certified product, Acumen EHR has been tested and passed inspection of 100 percent of a set of updated criteria for functionality, interoperability and security.

“Fresenius Medical Care is thrilled to have exclusive rights to bring Acumen to the market,” J. Michael Lazarus, chief medical officer and senior executive VP, of Fresenius Medical Care North America said. “This is consistent with our UltraCare commitment to provide dialysis patients with the highest standard of care, backed by the latest advances in information technology. CCHIT’s ‘seal of approval’ validates that Acumen gives nephrologists the electronic record system they need to provide the best renal care possible.”

“For 2007, the Commission raised the bar from the previous year’s criteria. Ambulatory EHRs now must include electronic prescribing, demonstrate an ability to receive lab results, and show enhanced patient safety, quality, and security features,” said Mark Leavitt, M.D., Ph.D., chair, CCHIT. “Investment in 2007 certified ambulatory EHRs gives providers even more powerful tools to improve quality, safety and efficiency while protecting the privacy of health information.”

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