Industry News for March 30

A number of health information technology announcements in recent days focus on mobile applications, research initiatives and new premium payment options. For instance:

* Diversinet Corp. has introduced the Clinical Communicator, which enables secure messaging between clinicians and patients via all major mobile and tablet operating systems. The application supports sending messages and notices to patients, viewing and updating information, scheduling and managing appointments, transmitting summaries of test results, sending automated reminders and alerts, and interfacing with biomedical devices. A version applicable for use in clinical trials will be available in June.

* Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., has picked Oracle Corp. to build a next-generation treatment and research informatics platform. The platform, on which Moffitt will standardize its data warehouse, will include the vendor's Oracle Platform 11g, master patient index, analytics and middleware applications.

* Medicus Insurance Company, a medical malpractice insurer, has begun accepting electronic premium payments through scheduled withdrawals from customer bank accounts. Physicians can make annual, quarterly or monthly premium payments. The monthly option includes equal payments; when physicians previously paid by paper check, the first month was a balloon payment equivalent to one-and-one-half months.

--Joseph Goedert