Microsoft and Allscripts subsidiary Veradigm announced a partnership to develop a new product that would help researchers conduct studies via Allscripts cloud-based electronic health record (EHR).

WHY IT MATTERS

Allscripts’ payer and life sciences-focused business unit, Veradigm, has been tapped to work with Microsoft to design the integrated research model — expected to run on point-of-care technology platforms, the companies said. The partnership will broaden Allscripts’ cloud-based EHR to include automated “match-making” between study protocols, patients and providers who may qualify for studies.

The effort will also include pilot programs to inform the development of the model, the companies said.

Allscripts and Microsoft said they are hoping the new product will improve time to market for new drug therapies, thus slashing costs on research and development.

THE BIGGER TREND

This partnership follows FDA’s guidance, issued last July, on how to use electronic health records for clinical investigations — in addition to, FDA’s “Framework for FDA’s Real-World Evidence Program,” released last month, which describes the use of data captured through routine care delivery as useful in supporting new drug approval.

This isn’t Microsoft’s first inroad into research. Last March at HIMSS18, Peter Lee, corporate vice president for Microsoft AI and Research, highlighted advancements it is has made through a partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where St. Jude made use of Microsoft Azure’s cloud computing service to process genomic data. Genomics is just one area for Microsoft investment, both in areas of research and in day-to-day use in hospitals, that used to be considered futuristic, we reported.

Hints of Allscripts movement in this direction came Last August, when following an earnings call, Allscripts CEO Paul Black emphasized the company’s plans for diversification in the healthcare space. Black said Allscripts planned to do this through the growth of its payer and life sciences business and analytics offerings to drive additional value from pharmaceutical clients and R&D spending, in general.

ON THE RECORD

“Just as rideshare organisations such as Lyft replaced the traditional specialized taxi driver and dispatch service with technology enabled drivers, we envision a network of technology enabled research clinicians providing an alternative to the roles associated within the traditional clinical trial operating model,” Veradigm vice-president and general manager Stephanie Reisinger said. 

This article first appeared on Healthcare iT News.