AMA chooses e-mail vendor for portal project

The American Medical Association has chosen Palo Alto, Calif.-based Voltage Security to provide secure e-mail communication through the online physician portal project it is developing.

The AMA's health information platform, which will be called Amagine, will act as a one-sign-in program where physicians can purchase and access all the electronic systems they need to run a practice. The new product is Voltage SecureMail, a Web-based e-mail system that can be accessed by anyone with an Internet browser, the Association said in a June 6 announcement.

The AMA said the system will allow physicians to have HIPAA-compliant communications with patients, other physicians and others in the medical community.

"Online privacy and security are of utmost importance to physicians and patients," said AMA Board of Trustees member Joseph M. Heyman, MD, in a statement. "Voltage is a leader in secure online communication, and users of the AMA platform will have the peace of mind knowing that their information will always be private."

The portal project, expected to launch nationally later this year, is being tested in Michigan in collaboration with the Michigan State Medical Society. Six "model" practices are being set up to test the technology and help the AMA determine what additional support physicians need to meet meaningful use requirements and qualify for Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments. Dell donated equipment for those model practice sites.

Other technology partners that will be offering systems on the AMA's platform include Allscripts and DrFirst, both e-prescribing systems, and Microsoft Corp., which is granting access to its personal health record platform, HealthVault. Isabel, a decision-support tool, also will be made available. The technology platform on which the portal runs was developed by Covisint, a subsidiary of Detroit-based Compuware Corp.