Microsoft deal with RelayHealth aims at doctors and patients (via Mowser)

Microsoft deal with RelayHealth aims at doctors and patients

By Emil Protalinski | Published: July 25, 2008 - 02:37PM CT

[image] Microsoft launched a public beta of HealthVault, the company's first health records system, back in October 2007. HealthVault is a consumer health platform that allows people to collect, store, and share health information with family members and participating healthcare providers.

Now, HealthVault has teamed up with RelayHealth to help patients connect with doctors' offices and hospitals to securely access medical care, information, and records. RelayHealth enables patients to schedule healthcare appointments online, request prescription refills, pay bills, obtain results and even visit their doctor online for non-urgent care.

Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of the Health Solutions Group at Microsoft, believes the collaboration will help consumers and doctors communicate:

Together, Microsoft and RelayHealth will make it easier for consumers and doctors to exchange information that is a part of our everyday lives, such as ordering and filling prescriptions, receiving lab results and other important exchanges that impact our health and well-being. Using the Internet to better connect patients and providers is a big step toward engaging people in their health decisions and ultimately improving the quality of patient care.

In short, the partnership means patients will be able to both access their personal health information and have online interaction with their personal physicians. For Microsoft and McKesson Technology Solutions, the owner of RelayHealth, it means customers will be more likely to choose their options over those from competitors. Microsoft will have to continue making deals like this one if it wants to compete against similar services, such as the one Google launched just this February.