Aetna touts mobile alerts for instant patient access

Hoping to increase communication between doctors and patients and better coordinate healthcare, Aetna (NYSE: AET) is providing physicians with new mobile tools to access clinical alerts and e-prescribing services through their smartphones or tablets.

Aetna will send free mobile medical alerts and offer e-prescribing services to about 2,000 physicians in its Florida network, allowing doctors to instantly access medical literature, as well as clinical and patient information from its claims department. Since the information is available on mobile devices, the doctors can access it while they're with their patients, according to Mobiledia.

"Access to accurate, up-to-date patient and clinical information is critical for doctors to deliver high-quality, effective care," said Bob Kropp, regional medical director for Aetna. "That's why we're putting integrated information into doctors' hands when it's most effective--when the doctor is in the exam room with the patient."

The medical alerts, which are supported by the software company NaviNet, are available at no cost to physicians using an Apple iPad, iPhone, or an Android device, InformationWeek reports. The physicians can identify safety issues, talk with patients about missed tests or checkups, and discuss health management programs. The messaging service also could make prescribing medication more efficient by eliminating unnecessary communication between insurers and pharmacies, eWeek notes.

Florida is the first state in which Aetna is introducing the tools, but the insurance company likely will add other states in the future, David Kates, NaviNet's senior vice president of product management and clinical strategy, told eWeek.

To learn more:
- read the InformationWeek article
- see the Mobiledia article
- check out the eWeek article

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