Practice Fusion and Dr. Oz Seek Smarter Patients with the Help of Technology

NEW YORK, June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Practice Fusion, the health platform delivering revolutionary technology to doctors and patients, teamed up with Dr. Oz and other notable New York doctors earlier this week to discuss what it means to be a smart patient in the rapidly changing digital landscape.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091118/PFLOGO)

The panel was moderated by Jonathan LaPook, Chief Medical Correspondent of the CBS Evening News and featured panelists Mehmet Oz, MD, Cardiac Surgeon and host of The Dr. Oz Show; Vatsal Thakkar, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine; and Ryan Howard, Practice Fusion Founder and CEO.

40 percent of US doctors now use an electronic medical record system and the topic of consumer privacy has been making headlines lately. The panel debated the best path forward for patient and physician interaction, from HIPAA's limitations to predictions of important technology gains in services that bring in healthy patients for regular preventative care.

Event Quotes:

Dr. Mehmet Oz, The Dr. Oz Show: 

- "We have a credit score. Why don't we have a health score?  Something the doctor as educator can help patients work on and improve."

- "There are a lot of dumb ways to die. Dying of a misprint is one of the worst ones."

- "For patients, deciding which health apps to use is an impossible task. My prediction is that we'll see doctors take a stronger role in prescribing apps in the next six months."

Ryan Howard, Practice Fusion: 

- "There are 200,000 preventable deaths every year because patient information is not available.  Not having access to your own medical history is a stupid reason to die."

- "My dog has a better personal health system than anyone in this room.  That's something we have to fix for patients."

To schedule an appointment with a tech savvy doctor, visit www.patientfusion.com

About Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion's health platform delivers revolutionary technology to doctors and patients. Founded in 2005, the company disrupts the status quo by offering a free, web-based electronic health record (EHR) system and complete practice management suite for physicians. In April 2013, the company launched its consumer-facing platform, Patient Fusion, where patients can find and book appointments with doctors and access their medical records. Practice Fusion is a driving force in modernizing American health care, used by a community of 150,000 medical professionals serving 64 million patients. The World Economic Forum recognized Practice Fusion as a Technology Pioneer in 2012. For more information about Practice Fusion, please visit www.practicefusion.com.

Contact: Stephanie Schlegel, 415-692-7186, [email protected]

SOURCE Practice Fusion