PatientKeeper announced last week that it had partnered with TechSpring to develop its charge capture technology into an app for integration within Cerner electronic health record workflows.

PatientKeeper says it already integrates third-party FHIR-based apps into its platform. This is its first venture into developing its own.

The design goal, according to a press release, is for clinicians "to be able to launch PatientKeeper's charge entry screen within their Cerner clinical workflows to record charges for each patient encounter."

PatientKeeper will develop the app in conjunction with TechSpring, an innovation center based out of Baystate Health that helps to accelerate the development of new technologies.

WHY IT MATTERS

According to the press release, PatientKeeper's new embedded app should allow users to open a charge edit screen from the charge list in the Cerner workflow. Any changes, says the vendor, will be visible in Cerner in real-time.

Company representatives called the app's development a response to a "physician workflow problem common to many EHR environments."

PatientKeeper's website explains that its Charge Capture feature allows billing staff to resolve issues with charges without interrupting clinicians or delaying the submission.

"PatientKeeper has been dedicated to creating technology that improves physician workflow for many years, so having them as a TechSpring partner is a natural fit," said Joe Diver, TechSpring's director of digital transformation, in a statement. 

"This project is another example of how we are contributing to the overall health IT ecosystem by solving specific problems in creative, innovative ways," Diver continued.

THE LARGER TREND

Cerner, along with fellow EHR giants Epic and Allscripts, opened up its product years ago to allow third-party apps to easily integrate into the platform. 

Given that large companies aren't always ready to pivot in response to specialized needs, smaller companies can develop applications to offer previously unavailable services.

“App developers are revolutionizing the way we live and interact with the digital world, and healthcare is no different," said John Gresham, senior vice president, DeviceWorks and interoperability, at Cerner, in 2018.

ON THE RECORD

"Since its founding, PatientKeeper has been all about healthcare IT integration and interoperability in service to physicians," John M. Kelly, PatientKeeper's chief technology officer, said in a statement. "We foresee leveraging the FHIR standard to enrich the PatientKeeper platform going forward."

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Twitter: @kjercich
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.