TETERBORO, N.J., Feb 6, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Quest
Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of
diagnostic testing, information and services, announced today that its MedPlus
subsidiary was recognized for the second consecutive year as the number one
document management and imaging (DMI) vendor for its ChartMaxx(R)
enterprise-wide electronic patient record (EPR) solution in a study released by
KLAS Enterprises. MedPlus develops state-of-the-art connectivity solutions,
which provide physician and hospital customers with access to essential
healthcare information at the critical point of decision making.
KLAS defines DMI vendors as those whose products offer the ability to "generate
electronic forms, handle COLD (computer output to laser disk) feeds, store and
retrieve data in its structured or unstructured form, provide simultaneous
access to multiple users, integrate with actionable processes, monitor status
tracking and/or workflow engines" and act as an "integral tool for retrieving
data from disparate systems." MedPlus originally received the top ranking in
February 2002, and has maintained its first place position since that time.
"The prestigious KLAS ranking demonstrates what MedPlus customers have known all
along -- that ChartMaxx lets hospital administrators and admitting physicians
effortlessly access and act on critical healthcare information to improve
patient care and enhance efficiency," said Surya N. Mohapatra, Ph.D., President
and Chief Operating Officer of Quest Diagnostics, the parent company of MedPlus.
"We are committed to the continued success of MedPlus and ChartMaxx in the
healthcare market."
MedPlus received higher scores than other suppliers including McKesson,
Eclipsys, Siemens, LanVision, AMS and QuadraMed, based on responses and feedback
received from current MedPlus customers. Among the 18 categories identified in
the study, MedPlus placed first in 17 categories including "money's worth,"
"lived up to expectations," "commitment to technology," "product worked as
promoted," "implementation on time" and "within budget."
Norm Swaton, Regional Director at KLAS Enterprises, said, "MedPlus continued to
demonstrate high client satisfaction throughout 2002 as reported by consistently
high marks provided by its customers. The top ratings of MedPlus and
confidential interviews conducted by KLAS for all vendors show that ChartMaxx
customers are genuinely pleased with many aspects of MedPlus' performance
compared to competitors' products."
MedPlus has continued to add to the user and document count included in
ChartMaxx and has realized dramatic increases since December 2001. The number of
clinical users has more than doubled to 25,000 and the number of overall users,
including administrative and clinical users, has nearly doubled to more than
50,000.
ChartMaxx has more than 178 million clinical and administrative documents stored
in the system for 8.3 million patients.
MedPlus will provide demonstrations of the ChartMaxx product, the eMaxx(R)
physician portal solution, and the OptiMaxx(R) document management system at
HIMSS in booth number 5025 during established business hours at the San Diego
Convention Center, Monday, February 10 through Thursday, February 13.
About KLAS Enterprises
KLAS, founded in 1996, is an independent research and consulting firm
specializing in monitoring and reporting unbiased and factual information on the
performance of healthcare's information technology vendors. KLAS confidentially
and personally interviews thousands of healthcare professionals annually in
order to candidly gather performance ratings. The KLAS staff and advisory board
average 25 years of healthcare technology experience. For further information
contact KLAS Enterprises, LLC at (801) 226-5120 or on the Web at
http://www.healthcomputing.com.
How to Obtain a Copy of the Report
If you have questions about the study or if you would like to purchase your own
copy, call toll free 866-268-9438 or visit http://www.healthcomputing.com.
About MedPlus
MedPlus is a leading developer and integrator of clinical connectivity and data
management solutions for healthcare organizations and clinicians. These
solutions efficiently and securely collect, store, manage and retrieve clinical
information within an organization, enterprise or community via virtual private
networks and/or the Internet. MedPlus solutions, including ChartMaxx (electronic
patient record solution), eMaxx (physician-focused clinical integration portal
solution), LabPortal(TM) (lab test ordering and results retrieval solution) and
OptiMaxx(R) (records storage and retrieval solution) have been implemented in
more than 125 hospitals throughout North America. MedPlus is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. For more information, visit the
Company's Web site at http://www.medplus.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic
testing, information and services, providing insights that enable physicians,
hospitals, managed care organizations and other healthcare professionals to make
decisions to improve health. The company offers patients and physicians the
broadest access to diagnostic laboratory services through its national network
of laboratories and patient service centers. Quest Diagnostics is the leading
provider of esoteric testing, including gene-based medical testing, and empowers
healthcare organizations and clinicians with state-of-the-art connectivity
solutions that improve practice management. Additional company information can
be found on the Internet at: http://www.questdiagnostics.com.
MedPlus, ChartMaxx, eMaxx, LabPortal and OptiMaxx are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of MedPlus, Inc. All other trade names are the property
of their respective owners.
SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
CONTACT:
Investors - Laure Park, +1-201-393-5030, Media - Gary Samuels,
+1-201-393-5700, both of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
Copyright (C) 2003 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.