As it seeks to expand its suite of clinical solutions for unified patient information management (UPIM), NaviNet, the biggest healthcare communications network in the country, has acquired Prematics, a provider of mobile care management solutions.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition, which comes just months after the two firms announced a partnership to provide health plan data at the point of care, allows NaviNet to extend its value to physicians using handheld devices: Prematics’ mobile clinical messaging and e-prescribing solutions will be integrated with NaviNet Insurer Connect, a multi-payer portal, and NaviNet EMR and NaviNet PM.

NaviNet’s integration of mobile healthcare messaging with payer and provider office solutions and business processes will give doctors single-source access to real-time patient data at the point of care. The integrated solutions for UPIM will create efficiencies, improve quality of care, and enhance patient service and satisfaction, according to company executives.
 
With the Prematics acquisition, NaviNet will integrate mobile care management capabilities with medical office workflows to enable the delivery of clinical, administrative and financial information to physicians’ handheld devices, embedding mobile healthcare messaging and best-of-breed clinical decision support into the e-prescribing workflow.

As a result, when physicians are in the exam room prescribing medications via a handheld device, they can also use the device to receive information about generic or alternative drugs; submit real-time authorizations; and view benefits information in real-time to determine patient financial responsibility.
 
“NaviNet’s acquisition of Prematics highlights our patient-centric approach to health information management, enhances our clinical product offerings and extends NaviNet from the desktop to the exam room," said Brad Waugh, president and CEO, NaviNet. "Doctors using handhelds will benefit from single-source access to integrated clinical, administrative and financial information from health plans, physicians and other sources of patient data. This acquisition is also a significant milestone in our vision to make NaviNet the premier platform for UPIM by expanding our offerings through acquisition, partnerships and organic product development.”
 
The combined NaviNet and Prematics solution will offer benefits to stakeholders across the industry:

• Physicians will have key patient information they need, where and when they need it, in a way that aligns with the medical office’s clinical and business priorities.
• Health plans will have the opportunity to leverage mobile communications to further improve quality of care, lower costs, and enhance provider and member relations.
• Patients can expect more informed and transparent care, and more efficient office visits.

“Prematics partnered with NaviNet earlier this year, recognizing our companies’ tremendous synergies and the value for physicians in bringing to market an integrated solution for mobile care management,” said Kevin Hutchinson, president and CEO of Prematics. "NaviNet’s relationships with leading national, commercial and Blue plans, and its dominant footprint in the physician practice market, will bring the benefits of mobile clinical messaging and e-prescribing to an even larger audience, improving care and saving costs for even more physicians, health plans and patients across the country.”
 
Prematics mobile clinical messaging and e-prescribing capabilities will be available to physicians and clinicians in the nationwide NaviNet Network through direct purchase from NaviNet and from health plans that choose to sponsor the technology.

In 2011, the mobile care management solutions will be integrated with NaviNet Insurer Connect, NaviNet EMR and NaviNet PM. NaviNet will continue to serve existing Prematics customers – more than 3,600 physicians – and will retain Prematics’ resources and business operations.