Microsoft EMR Software: A Venture from the Software Giant
We have seen how Microsoft evolved from a small software company to today’s leading provider of innovative software applications patronized by millions of users worldwide. That number continues to increase as the company impresses more and more computer users. However, despite its enormous success in the software business, Microsoft has yet to arrive with an EMR solution for the healthcare industry. And to think, the healthcare industry is among the most highly budgeted sector of our society with billions of dollars of spending every year.
An EMR software solution from Microsoft could indicate a new dominion in software development for the software giant and a new era in EMR application development. The legislation requiring health experts to use EHR by 2015 could somehow trigger and motivate Microsoft to rationalize the idea of a Microsoft EMR software.
If Microsoft desires to build its own EMR solution, developing an EMR from out of nowhere would simply mean colossal efforts for the company before being able to arrive to a solution that would certainly make a good entry. According to some experts, the best alternative for Microsoft now is to acquire companies with well known reputation in developing EMR applications. Now is not the best time for Microsoft to code EMR from nothing, but an acquisition of key players in EMR coupled with enhancements on the product is sure to give Microsoft the edge in the market. With numerous partners in the Healthcare industry, finding that lucky company to acquire is definitely easy. The AllScript-HealthVault operation could be a sign for the much awaited product debut if Microsoft decides to.
An EMR from Microsoft will definitely create a huge impact to how electronic medical records are processed and stored. Today, since most EMR solutions are acquired by medical practitioners from independent providers, physicians holding multiple clinics in different hospitals have to deal with multiple applications in order to create information for their patients. Using multiple EMR applications in a single day is inevitable for most physicians since numbers of them have clinics stationed in different hospitals. But because of the demand for a better EMR and the obvious trending of Microsoft on small healthcare product developers, it is not impossible that Microsoft will be able to provide the healthcare industry with the most comprehensive solution.
So, why is the healthcare industry expecting a new LOB from Microsoft? With the reputation that the company has over its products, it is obvious that more and more people are getting into making Microsoft products a necessity in computing. Like any Microsoft products, a future Microsoft EMR can definitely help ease the intense load carried by healthcare experts in dealing with independent EHR applications.
