OREANDA-NEWS. January 29, 2013. For the second consecutive year, iKnowMed electronic health record (EHR) has been named the top ranked EHR for oncologists and hematologists by Black Book Rankings, a division of the Brown-Wilson Group, an unbiased source for polling, surveys and market research. In addition, KLAS, an independently owned and operated healthcare industry research firm, recently indicated that iKnowMed attained the highest medical oncology-specific performance rating for an EHR built for the ambulatory setting, reported the press-centre of McKesson.  

“Created in close collaboration with the physicians of The US Oncology Network, the broad functionality of iKnowMed delivers multiple benefits for community oncology practices - including enhanced patient safety, work flow efficiency and evidence-based clinical decision support at the point of care,” said Asif Ahmad, SVP of Technology for McKesson Specialty Health. “We are excited to see the undeniable value of iKnowMed reflected in these important industry benchmarks.”

Black Book annual rankings are compiled based on feedback from EHR users across 18 performance criteria, including overall performance, innovation, training and customer support. iKnowMed was recognized for its superior focus on meeting the unique needs of community-based oncology practices.

More than 380,000 practice management and physician leaders, and other users including IT specialists and front-line implementation veterans were invited to participate in the 2012 annual Black Book Rankings survey. iKnowMed received “overwhelming satisfaction” rankings in all 18 key performance areas among the EHRs in the ambulatory oncology/hematology category.

In addition to the high rating in Black Book Rankings, iKnowMed also attained a high rating in the 2012 KLAS report, “Oncology 2012: Pulling the Curtain Back.” This comprehensive report features in-depth analysis of leading Oncology IT systems based on provider opinions obtained over the last year. iKnowMed was rated as superior to other medical oncology-specific EHRs in multiple areas including cancer staging, cancer-specific templates, and dose calculating.

“iKnowMed continues to make advancements,” says Scott Kruger, MD, medical oncologist with Virginia Oncology Associates, a member of The US Oncology Network. “There have been many hurdles with the changing technology and requirements for Meaningful Use. We can tell the technology team is listening to our needs and incorporating our feedback into iKnowMed development plans. In the last year we have seen increased speed, reduction in clicks required to perform tasks and improvements in overall ease of use. The new medical record system in development, iKnowMed Generation 2, will incorporate these and other enhancements to help make iKnowMed an ongoing leader in the future of community oncology care. “

Currently, iKnowMed is implemented in more than 400 sites of care nationwide by more than 1,300 providers and is fully integrated with its patient portal, My Care Plus, which provides more than 20,000 enrolled patients secure, online access to their health records. The web-based EHR allows practices to have 24/7 immediate access to comprehensive patient charts, detailed cancer diagnosis and staging content, and an extensive up-to-date cancer regimen library that enables them to contemplate different treatment options from anywhere at any time without the need of a patient’s paper record. iKnowMed EHR further enhances patient safety in the practice through the elimination of handwritten notes and drug orders, which minimizes misinterpretations, and through safety alerts generated through the system when it detects possible medication conflicts or high toxicity levels. The system also has the ability to identify patients for appropriate clinical trials available at the practice and suggests evidence-based treatment options with point-of-care decision support.

For more information about Black Book Rankings and the KLAS report or to request a demonstration of iKnowMed, visit http://www.mckesson.com/iKnowMed2013.

About McKesson Specialty Health
McKesson Specialty Health, a division of McKesson Corporation, empowers the community patient care delivery system by helping community practices advance the science, technology and quality of care. Through innovative clinical, research, business and operational solutions, facilitated by integrated technology systems, we focus on improving the financial health of our customers so they may provide the best care to their patients. For more information, visit www.mckessonspecialtyhealth.com.

About The US Oncology Network

The US Oncology Network is one of the nation’s largest networks of community-based oncology physicians dedicated to advancing cancer care in America. Like-minded physicians are united through The Network around a common vision of expanding patient access to high-quality, integrated cancer care in communities throughout the nation. Leveraging healthcare information technology, shared best practices, refined evidence-based medicine guidelines, and quality measurements, physicians affiliated with The US Oncology Network are committed to advancing the quality, safety, and science of cancer care to improve patient outcomes. The US Oncology Network is supported by McKesson Specialty Health, a division of McKesson Corporation focused on empowering a vibrant and sustainable community patient care delivery system. For more information, visit www.usoncology.com.