Lyft, a rideshare company, has collaborated with Epic’s electronic medical record system to boost its non-emergency medical transportation business.
The company said it would allow doctors to schedule a ride for their patients from their electronic health record, making it much easier for health care systems to collect data on the impact of their transportation programs.
Currently, health care systems, such as Tampa General and Ochsner Health, use Lyft for non-emergency medical transportation services.
Rides are ordered via Lyft’s Concierge platform – which allows businesses to pre-order rides for clients or employees.
Dr. David Carmouche, President of the Ochsner Health Network, said, “Access to reliable transportation is a common barrier to seeking healthcare, especially for our most vulnerable patients.”
“By teaming up to integrate Lyft into Epic – our established health record system – Ochsner is providing a solution that makes it easier for patients to seek out high-quality care when they need it and without unnecessary delays due to a lack of transportation,” he added.
In 2019, Lyft began offering non-emergency medical transportation services to Medicaid patients in six states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, and Missouri.
Lyft expects the collaboration will boost its footprint, as over 250 million patients have a current electronic health record in Epic.
Uber, Lyft’s competitor, has also been making strides to expand its business in non-emergency medical transportation.
Last year, Uber teamed up with Cerner, a supplier of health information technology services, devices, and hardware. The article appeared on Medi City News.
