Ochsner Health System (New Orleans) has selected Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM and Chicago-based Initiate Systems to build a patient information system.
Under terms of the agreement, IBM and Initiate will design and implement an open-standards-based EMPI capability that the companies say will provide a foundation for existing EMR systems. According to both companies, benefits will include improved patient identification within and across disparate systems, real-time decision-making by physicians, and improved cross-facility data sharing.
According to the companies, the enhanced solution will help Ochsner add new hospitals and extend care to outlying areas still affected by Hurricane Katrina's devastation. Patient records from the new facilities will be integrated into existing records, creating a master EMR for each patient that is available in real-time to all physicians, say the companies.
