US to get $50m e-billing system

Kettering Health Network (KHN) will roll out a $50 million electronic health information system in the US, reports WHIO TV.

Lab results, radiology images, physician notes, diagnoses and prescription histories will be deployed via the Epic system. The system will also help hospitals coordinate billing and determine appropriate discount eligibility for patients.

KHN officials say the Epic system will be live first at Sycamore Medical Centre in November of 2010. They expect the entire six-hospital network, including outpatient facilities, to be using it by June of 2011.

The number of consumers who receive bills online is increasing due to the growing awareness of the green benefits of going paperless, says Bank Technology News.

Fiserv-funded research from Harris Interactive and The Marketing Workshop reveals that 58% of electronic bill recipients say environmental impact was important in their decision to both receive and pay bills online, up from 51%.

The survey also reports that more than two million households adopted online banking and bill payments during the past year, bringing the total to 69.7 million, or 80% of households with Internet access.

AT&T has partnered with Jasper Wireless to develop an integrated platform that consumer electronic and business device manufacturers can use to wirelessly connect to AT&T's nationwide network, states San Antonio Business Journal.

The platform will allow personal navigation, in-car navigation, e-readers, mobile Internet devices, gaming units, healthcare equipment and other devices to connect to AT&T's wireless network.

AT&T and Jasper officials say they will offer manufacturers that select the AT&T Control Centre platform flexible rate plans, billing options, engineering support and instant connection to the wireless network once the device is turned on.