By Brian Dolan and Neil Versel

Epocrates announced this morning the first phase of availability for its EHR offering, which includes an iPhone app. The offering is targeting primary care practices with ten or fewer physicians. Epocrates’ EHR offering was first announced in March 2010.

Epocrates built the EHR essentially from the ground up, taking a few, small pieces from the iChart EHR the company acquired when it bought Caretools a year ago for $400,000. "We've styled the code from end to end," says Epocrates CMIO Dr. Thomas Giannulli, who's referred to around the company's San Mateo, Calif., headquarters as the "EHR visionary."

"The Caretools product was kind of the starting point," Giannulli says. Epocrates will be "tapering off" iChart support as Epocrates EHR is rolled out, according to the CMIO.

Epocrates EHR, initially available as a Web-based SaaS product, includes patient encounter notes, electronic lab integration and e-prescribing, as well as Epocrates’ flagship drug database. An iPhone version, which should hit the market in a matter of weeks, includes remote patient record look-up and schedule access, as well as e-prescribing capabilities.

"The Web product is universal," Giannulli tells MobiHealthNews. "The iPhone does tasks that are suitable for using out of office."

A forthcoming iPad version will be focused on point-of-care data capture, according to Giannulli. Epocrates also is developing a patient portal and an Android app as part of later phases of its EHR offering. Giannulli is not saying right now whether the Android product will be for tablets or just smartphones.

All versions of Epocrates EHR are aimed at small, primary care physician practices—one to 10 doctors—an underserved market segment. "The largest slice of doctors without EHR technology is the small-practice market," Giannulli says.

The EHR is not yet certified for "meaningful use," but Giannulli says it is "on the path to certification." He says Epocrates is telling potential customers that they should be able to earn Medicare and Medicaid incentives for meaningful use starting in 2012.

After the EHR’s unveiling last year, MobiHealthNews spoke with (now former) Epocrates CMO Dr. Geoff Rutledge and CTO Bob Quinn:

“One differentiator between our mobile EHR app and others is that ours will be a native app and it will store patient data on the device,” Quinn told us at the time. “That means the device will not need a signal to access the EHR. Any new data will be synched with the record once the phone finds a signal. Of course, we spent a great deal of time on security for the mobile device and service working with a top tier security firm, which will remain an undisclosed partner for now.”

Read the full press release below.

Epocrates, Inc. today announced the first phase of availability for the Epocrates(R) EHR mobile and web-based electronic health record (EHR). In this phase, the company is introducing the core functionalities that meet the distinct needs of primary care practices with 10 or fewer physicians, which include an intuitive user interface, affordable cost structure, and comprehensive support and service program.

"Based on our decade-long legacy of developing point-of-care solutions, we are in an ideal position to systematically build and introduce a solution geared towards the needs of solo and small group practices," said Rose Crane, president and chief executive officer of Epocrates. "We have incorporated physician feedback throughout the development process to ensure every design element fits easily into the physicians' workflow and contributes to better patient outcomes. We can envision a future where our EHR solution is the nucleus of physician and patient communication and education."

Optimized for easy integration into small practice settings, Epocrates EHR is a secure, web-based SaaS system featuring core capabilities, including patient encounter notes, electronic lab integration, ePrescribing, and Epocrates' market-leading drug content. To accommodate the mobile and on-call demands of physicians, Epocrates will also offer a license to a native Apple(R) iPhone(R) app that supports remote patient record look-up and schedule access, as well as ePrescribing capabilities. This web and mobile solution is available to the company's clinician network for an early-adopter monthly subscription price through March 31, 2012. Additionally, the Quick Start and Epocrates EHR Adoption Advantage programs provide the comprehensive implementation and training support required for efficient and effective EHR adoption.

"Epocrates respects the needs of practitioners like me and designed a system that simply works with me," said Dr. Charles Antonini, internist in Daly City, Calif. "With Epocrates' services and support, I was able to start the transition of my practice immediately and am already spending more time with my patients and less on paperwork."

Epocrates will continue to enhance its EHR offering based on user feedback and market demands. As the company works toward meaningful use certification, as defined by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, it plans to introduce more advanced capabilities to help ensure physician practices are eligible to achieve the maximum incentives. The company will regularly add features, such as a patient portal, to the EHR solution as part of its effort to align with all stages of meaningful use and further increase patient engagement. Epocrates is also planning to offer its EHR for additional devices, such as the Apple iPad(R) tablet and Google Android(TM) smartphones, to address the mobile trends among clinicians.

"We value our well-established, trusted position with the Epocrates physician network and believe we can drive the next wave of EHR adoption with a simple, easy-to-use solution that seamlessly integrates into the physician's practice," stated Crane. "As we take physicians down the path of EHR adoption, and then meaningful use certification, we ultimately see an opportunity to empower physician and patient connectivity in ways that have never been done before."

For more information about Epocrates EHR, please visit www.epocratesehr.com .

About Epocrates, Inc.

Epocrates, Inc. EPOC -2.17% , developers of the #1 most used mobile medical app among U.S. physicians, creates point-of-care digital solutions that enhance the practice of medicine. More than 1.3 million healthcare professionals, including 45 percent of U.S. physicians, use Epocrates' solutions to help improve patient care and practice efficiencies with its drug reference, educational and clinical apps. The new Epocrates mobile and web-based EHR solution, designed for solo and small group practice physicians, is affordable, easy-to-use and further supports physician workflow and patient outcomes. The company also partners with the healthcare industry, including top pharmaceutical companies, to engage with its clinician network through effective, interactive services. For more information about Epocrates, please visit www.epocrates.com/company .

Epocrates is a trademark of Epocrates, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release relating to future developments. enhancements and expansion of Epocrates' EHR offerings, including the anticipated timing of achieving meaningful use certification, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon the company's current expectations. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including: Epocrates' EHR product is in its first phase of availability and unanticipated defects in the product may be discovered which could cause a delay in further development or certification; meaningful use certification may be delayed due to unanticipated delays with regulatory agencies; as well as those other risks detailed in Epocrates' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including in Item 1A, Part II of Epocrates' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 12, 2011. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Epocrates does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, changed assumptions or otherwise.