News:ParkStone Announces Record Deployment
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.—March 1, 2001—ParkStone Medical Information Systems, a leader in point-of-care handheld computers for physicians, today announced deployment of its electronic prescribing system to more than 800 physicians during the month of February. In January, more than 650 additional physicians began using the ParkStone system. Both months represent record numbers of deployments. The company has deployed handhelds to more than 3,600 physicians to date. “Demand for the ParkStone system is increasing rapidly as physicians realize the potential of e-prescribing to save lives and simplify the practice of medicine,” said John H. Johnson, ParkStone president and CEO. “Managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical companies and other health care entities also benefit from reduced administrative costs and improved quality of care for patients when physicians use e-prescribing tools. ParkStone is proud of this deployment milestone, and we are committed to bringing our life-saving technology to thousands of physicians throughout the U.S. this year.” According to a summary of "Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century"—a report issued today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM)-- the use of automated medication order entry systems can reduce errors in prescribing and dosing drugs, and computerized reminders can help both patients and clinicians identify needed services. The IOM’s 1999 report, “To Err is Human,” indicated as many as 7,000 Americans die each year as a result of errors involving prescription medications. ParkStone technology generates legible, formulary-compliant prescriptions that have been checked for drug interactions and allergic reactions. This helps reduce the chance of medication errors that occur during the process of prescribing and dispensing medications and ensure that patients receive the right medication at the right time. In addition, the ParkStone system offers mobile access to patient information and medication histories, giving physicians the ability to make well-informed prescribing decisions from virtually anywhere they practice medicine. To meet the growing demand for ParkStone electronic prescribing system and to continue ParkStone’s aggressive deployment schedule, ParkStone has teamed with IBM Global Services to assess each physician’s technology needs, install all system equipment, and provide on-site and Web-based training to physicians and their office staff. -more- ParkStone’s Record Deployment Page 2 About ParkStone ParkStone Medical Information Systems is a leader in the development of handheld solutions for physicians. ParkStone’s mission is to save lives and simplify the physician’s day by providing mobile access to information that improves quality of care. The ParkStone system is designed to electronically prescribe medication in compliance with insurance formularies and check for drug interactions and allergic reactions. Additional modules and services, including charge capture and billing, pharmacopia, and wireless service from Aether Systems are in development. ParkStone is a privately held company based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and funded by Oak Investment Partners, Partech International, Cardinal Partners, Salix Ventures, Aether Capital and others. For more information about ParkStone Medical Information Systems, Inc., please visit www.parkstonemed.com or contact Sherold Barr at 541-343-9623 or sherold@extraordinarywork.com. |
