MaSSSoftech

Genesis Physicians Group has announced an agreement with Covisint designed to build a health information exchange for North Texas' largest independent physician association.

The agreement with Covisint, a subsidiary of Detroit-based Compuware Corp., will allow Genesis’ information exchange to offer physicians a centralized, single-sign-on access to numerous areas of patient care delivery, such as managing referrals to other physicians, e-prescribing, electronic medical records and other clinical and administrative information.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

This centralized access will improve the often-fragmented way in which physicians have to access these systems, said Ron Lutz, president and CEO of Dallas-based Genesis Physicians Group, in an earlier interview with the Dallas Business Journal. Lutz expanded on that thought in a prepared statement, saying his company chose Covisint because of its heightened concern for security and ensuring safe access to information.

The collaboration will help addresses information technology adoption challenges that many physicians encounter, Brett Furst, vice president of health care for Covisint, said in a statement.

This move represents Genesis’ continuing effort to help establish a regional information exchange backbone for its 1,460 physicians.

In June, Genesis announced it was spearheading efforts to help establish one of the largest-scale efforts in North Texas to help establish a rib in a regional information exchange that is physician-based. With this initiative, Genesis’ association of nearly 1,500 North Texas independent physicians will be able to communicate on the same electronic tracking system.

The technology also will help to connect physicians with outpatient centers, diagnostic labs, imaging centers, insurance companies and, eventually, employers, Lutz said.