Press Releases
THE DOCTOR IS ONLINE: BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA FIRST HEALTH PLAN TO LINK DOCTORS AND MEMBERS
Healinx™ Messaging Service Provides Unprecedented Benefits
San Francisco, CA, May 31, 2000 — Pioneering the next stage of doctor-patient communications, Blue Shield of California announced today that it is the first health plan in the nation to provide a comprehensive online communication link between doctors and patients. For not-for-profit Blue Shield, this will include more than 50,000 network doctors and all their patients, including two million Blue Shield members.
This cutting edge service is made possible through a strategic alliance with Healinx, a customized Internet messaging service that will allow doctors and patients to communicate online with security and privacy. It provides more timely and convenient access to doctors and helps them improve patient care.
"In increasing numbers, consumers are leveraging the power of the Internet to play a more active role in managing their own health and lifestyle," said Giovanni Colella, MD, president and chief executive officer of Healinx. "The Healinx service provides a set of tools for messaging, prescriptions and preventive care that helps doctors deliver high-quality healthcare online in a productive and protected environment."
Blue Shield currently offers its members and the general population a range of Internet information and resources through the mylifepath.com Web site. With Healinx personalized messaging, members and other patients of Blue Shield doctors will be able to request online consultations, schedule appointments, request prescriptions and renewals, and receive individualized health information online.
"Blue Shield has been a pioneer in harnessing the Internet to not only improve the well-being of its members but the community-at-large," said Jeffrey Rideout, MD, chief medical officer at Blue Shield. "We believe that the Healinx service complements our Internet strategy and will help our network of doctors and their patients to communicate more effectively and efficiently."
Blue Shield is currently offering its network doctors the opportunity to participate in the service. Once doctors register, they will be able to communicate with all of their patients, not just those enrolled in Blue Shield, through Healinx. Doing so "supports our not-for-profit mission and commitment to serving the entire community, not just our membership," says Rideout.
Providing Better Care More Efficiently
The service offers unique message templates that make doctor-patient communication more concise
and accurate, reducing the need for time-consuming back-and-forth conversations, and minimizing "phone
tag," chart pulls and prescription call-ins. The service also provides customized care
reminders for preventative checkups, and doctors can provide links to information they trust.
For doctors, Healinx services include intelligent message routing, screening prescriptions for drug interactions and for compliance with the Blue Shield formulary, and electronic prescribing to the patient's pharmacy of choice.
The service also offers doctors a secure and compelling Internet presence. Once a doctor registers, a customized personal site with all of the Healinx communication tools is generated. Patients may then register at their doctor's Internet site and use a simple template to create a medical profile, at which point doctors and patients can begin online communication. When appropriate, a copay feature is available.
"Secure doctor-patient messaging helps not only patients but doctors, and is a great way for physicians to enter the 'digital age'," says Jack Lewin, MD, Executive Vice President/CEO of the California Medical Association. "Blue Shield's commitment to programs such as Healinx and CMA's MedEPass is the right kind of innovation for doctors."
"In today's fast paced environment, reliable doctor-patient messaging using the Internet is a concept that is overdue," says Kathryn Hallsten, MD, of the Menlo Medical Clinic, Menlo Park, CA. "Healinx will give us a way to provide better care for our patients by handling routine transactions more efficiently."
Designed for Privacy and Security
Designed for maximum security and privacy for its users, the service is a closed circle of
users and does not use e-mail addresses, so messages cannot be sent to arbitrary recipients.
Patients can only send messages to their doctors, and doctors can only send messages to their
patients or to other doctors. Unlike e-mail, which can be altered or deleted by the sender
or recipient, messages in Healinx are maintained permanently and serve as a record for the
future. Since the messages reside on Healinx servers and are encrypted, employers cannot
read their employees' messages.
About Healinx
Healinx Corporation is the premier provider of Web-based, doctor-patient communication services.
The Healinx system enables secure, clinically structured, and auditable communications between
doctors and patients. Healinx earned this position by using state-of-the-art technology,
strategic relationships, and a unique understanding of the needs of doctors and consumers.
Healinx helps doctors address their need to recoup income while providing efficient, secure
online services to their patients. At the same time, Healinx offers patients convenience
and access -- the convenience of communicating directly with their physicians at anytime
from anyplace. By streamlining the doctor-patient relationship, Healinx enables payers to
improve member satisfaction and retention and reduce their exposure to rising healthcare
costs. For information, visit www.relayhealth.com.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association, is California's
second-largest not-for-profit healthcare company. Its health maintenance organization (HMO)
and preferred provider organization (PPO) have a combined membership of two million and annual
revenue of $3 billion. Blue Shield was founded in San Francisco in 1939 as the nation's first
medical service prepayment plan. For more information, visit www.blueshieldca.com.
