New Epocrates Provider Directory Connects Clinicia

WATERTOWN, Mass., Oct. 9, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Continuing its tradition and commitment to providing health care professionals with convenient mobile access to the information they need at the point of care, Epocrates, Inc. , an athenahealth company (Nasdaq: ATHN ), today unveiled the new Epocrates Provider Directory. Now, Epocrates members can quickly and easily identify other clinicians for consultations and patient referrals. Historically, Epocrates has built its brand on a one-to-one relationship with its members. With the Provider Directory, Epocrates is laying the foundation for its members to connect with each other.

The Epocrates Provider Directory, accessible through the Epocrates app, is an extensive registry of more than 700,000 clinician profiles pooled from public sources that can be edited by members themselves. With the addition of the Provider Directory, Epocrates expands its repertoire of services available in one place, on one app. Clinicians using Epocrates Rx® or Epocrates® Essentials  can already search for valuable drug information such as dosing, pricing and black box warnings, or clinical information such as labs and differential diagnoses. Now they can also conveniently find a provider by name or specialty anywhere in the U.S., and receive full profile listings including clinical interests and practice information.

"Epocrates, my most trusted source for clinical information, is now my go-to resource for referrals and assistance with patient care," said Dr. Lonny Horowitz of Atlanta, GA. "The provider feature gives me instant access to specialists in the area and I can quickly refer patients from the exam room for appointments. An added bonus is that you can store 'favorite' contacts for quick retrieval."

How it Works: Search – Share – Save

The Provider Directory eliminates the need to search the Internet, look through potentially-outdated print directories or shuffle through stacks of business cards to find other clinicians. Tap on the Provider Directory tile while in the Epocrates app to search via common criteria such as name, specialty and location. Provider profiles include information such as basic contacts, location, specialty, credentials, and practice details such as types of insurance accepted or whether a provider is taking new patients. To ensure continual accuracy, clinicians can confirm and edit their own professional profiles at any time.

Once a clinician has found a provider, Epocrates makes it easy to share that information via email with a colleague or patient. With one tap, Epocrates will send an email with the provider's information on the clinician's behalf. Users can also build their own list of "favorites" to retrieve frequently referenced profiles even faster.

"The new Epocrates Provider Directory is a result of our commitment to understand the clinician's needs and workflow, and to give them the mobile tools they need to streamline activities at the point of care. This allows them to focus more of their time on the most important aspect of their practice, the patient," said Marianne Braunstein, vice president of product management at Epocrates, Inc. "Clinicians turn to Epocrates daily for the valuable drug and diagnostic information they need to provide quality patient care. The addition of the Provider Directory gives them another reason to keep Epocrates their #1 medical app."

About Epocrates, Inc.

Epocrates, Inc., an athenahealth company, is recognized for developing the #1 medical application among U.S. physicians for clinical content, practice tools, and health industry engagement at the point of care. Epocrates has established a loyal network of more than one million health care professionals, including 50 percent of U.S. physicians, who routinely use its intuitive solutions to help streamline workflow and improve patient care. For more information, please visit www.epocrates.com/company .

About athenahealth, Inc.

athenahealth is a leading provider of cloud-based services for electronic health record (EHR), practice management, and care coordination. athenahealth's mission is to be caregivers' most trusted service, helping them do well doing the right thing. For more information, please visit www.athenahealth.com .

Holly Spring athenahealth, Inc. (Media) 617-402-1631 April Marks Epocrates, Inc. (Media) 650-520-2413 Dana Quattrochi athenahealth, Inc. (Investors) 617-402-1329