UnitedHealth Group’s Optum business is launching a service that allows doctors to share information about patients over the Internet, as health care companies continue their push to improve care with better coordination.
The system, known as cloud computing, involves storing information and software applications on remote servers that are accessed through a secure Internet connection.
In health care, this means a doctor does not have to go to a particular computer for patient information or care updates. He or she can use portable devices such as smartphones or tablets.
Currently, doctors rely on patients to tell them when they visit another physician or the ER.
Optum worked with Cisco, IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co., among others, to design the cloud and is launching a set of apps called Optum Care Suite to help providers use it.
