LAS VEGAS – Telemedicine technology vendor MDLIVE announced Monday at HIMSS16 that it will complete the migration of its video consult platform to Microsoft Office 365 and Skype for Business during the second quarter of 2016. Office 365 and Skype for Business will give MDLIVE a more robust, secure and scalable collaboration platform as it continues to add consumers, physicians, employers, health systems and health plans to its connected care platform, the vendor said.

Skype for Business offers a communications platform that includes instant messaging, online meetings, HD videoconferencing and telephone service. The system is an integral part of Microsoft Office 365, which was designed to improve productivity, cut costs, and streamline collaboration for health professionals and others, MDLIVE said. Office 365 meets many healthcare compliance regulations including the HIPAA Business Associate Agreement and the breach notification requirements of ARRA/HITECH.

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Currently, MDLIVE patients and physicians have to download and install a video application that runs in the background during online consults. With Skype for Business, this no longer will be required. Instead, MDLIVE will use the Skype for Business developer platform to integrate video functions directly into MDLIVE’s telemedicine platform, which is available on Android, Apple iOS and Windows. Patients will be able to simply click a “See a doctor” link in the MDLIVE portal or mobile app, and the embedded Skype for Business video consult will start, connecting a patient to a doctor.

“Skype for Business provides MDLIVE with a much more scalable architecture so we can accommodate even higher volumes of consults daily,” said Randy Parker, founder and CEO of MDLIVE. “The adoption of Skype for Business also enables us to deliver a significantly improved user experience for both patients and physicians.”

Driven by the rapid growth in value-based care and increasing consumer demand for more convenient access to care, virtual care is on the verge of rapid, widespread growth, said Neil Jordan, general manager of worldwide health at Microsoft.

“Within a matter of years, patients will expect their providers to offer both virtual and in-person visits,” Jordan said. “MDLIVE is empowering providers to meet consumers and patients where they are, independent of time and location, with the Skype for Business platform.”

MDLIVE will present live demonstration of virtual consults with board-certified physicians using the Skype for Business platform at its booth (#12026) at the HIMSS 2016 Conference & Exhibition.

Twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT

This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.