McKesson Specialty Health announced today the launch of iKnowMed Generation 2, a powerful web-based electronic health record (EHR) developed in collaboration with oncologists. Drawing upon their daily clinical experiences, more than 200 physicians have come together to help create a system that advances the quality and efficiency of cancer care delivery.
The new iKnowMed Generation 2 has met the criteria to participate in the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Lab to be held during the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, Ill. from May 31 to June 4. ASCO is the world's leading professional organization representing providers who care for people with cancer.
“iKnowMed Generation 2 is delivered on a new platform with technological advancements and innovation that will drive quality patient care to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. We are excited and eager to demonstrate this at the ASCO EHR Lab,” said Asif Ahmad, senior vice president of Information and Technology Services and chief information officer for McKesson Specialty Health. “With the help of physicians, many of whom are affiliated with The US Oncology Network, we were able to marry technology with best-in-class, evidence-based clinical content to ensure that iKnowMed Generation 2 meets clinician needs and merges fluidly into daily practice workflow. Our goal is to keep our technology on the cutting-edge, not just for the next couple of years, but continuously.”
Backed by the experience, resources and technology of McKesson Specialty Health, iKnowMed Generation 2 is designed to meet the unique needs of community-based cancer centers and to help physicians and their staff deliver high-quality care while improving patient safety and optimizing practice workflow. This technology platform will help practices deliver an integrated experience for patients and their care team while supporting their demonstration of Meaningful Use.
iKnowMed Generation 2 is brought to you by the same team that has delivered the highest-ranked EHR for oncologists and hematologists according to the 2012 and 2013 Black Book Rankings. Building on the proven strengths of iKnowMed, the new platform is ONC-ATCB 2011 Certified as a Complete EHR, Surescripts Certified, HL7 Compliant and is fully integrated with both the Lynx Mobile® inventory management system and My Care Plus patient portal. It is available from any web-enabled device, is optimized for mobile access via tablet or smart phone and allows the sharing of information between all oncology specialties including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons. Additionally, iKnowMed Generation 2 includes features such as detailed cancer diagnosis and staging content; an extensive, up-to-date cancer regimen library; flexible documentation options; e-prescribing; automated charge capture functionality and auto-sharing of clinical notes.
“What’s most impressive to me is the on-going collaboration McKesson Specialty Health has with physicians,” said Mark Sitarik, M.D., medical oncologist with Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, medical director of Medical Information for McKesson Specialty Health and The US Oncology Network, and chairman of the Physician Advisory Board that helped guide the development of iKnowMed Generation 2. “Oncology is unique. We, as oncologists, need technology that is tailored to us. Since iKnowMed Generation 2 was developed with our input, it is able to meet our needs in ways other systems cannot. Its regimen support, diagnosis-specific chemotherapy protocols and charge capture functionality are just a few of the features I consider invaluable as an oncologist.”
Oncologists attending the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting will be able to see these functionalities firsthand at the ASCO EHR Lab, an event for oncology professionals to research EHR technology and collaborate with leaders in the field of EHR development. The EHR Vendor Lab is a live, in-person resource allowing organizations such as McKesson Specialty Health to show their EHR's ability to perform clinical decision support, chemotherapy ordering, and care coordination.
“Our goal is to employ innovative technology to advance patient care,” said Ahmad. “This is the key to helping physicians provide high-quality, evidence-based, cost-effective patient care. McKesson Specialty Health leads technical innovation in several ways: meaningful content, a sturdy infrastructure, mobility, the latest interoperability standards and unmatched regimen support tools that will help physicians provide and measure value-based patient care as well as boost financial performance.”
For more information: www.mckessonspecialtyhealth.com/iKnowMed
September 22, 2023 
