Exact Sciences Corp., a molecular diagnostics company based in Madison, Wis., has entered into an agreement with Epic, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
Here are four things to know:
1. Under the deal, Exact Sciences will use Epic's software in the same way the EHR vendor's hospital clients use it. The software will help Exact Sciences mitigate IT burdens as its colorectal cancer test Cologuard grows in popularity.
"Epic will become a core component of our IT system, from order entry all the way through revenue cycle and customer care," Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy told financial analysts in a conference call last week, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. "It will help us deepen our connection with customers of Cologuard and other future [diagnostic] tests."
2. Mr. Conroy added that using Epic will give the company a "competitive advantage" because it will be easier to add prescriptions for Colorguard and test results in patients' EHRs.
3. Exact Sciences will not use Epic's patient portal, MyChart, to push notes to patients advertising Colorguard, Exact Sciences spokesperson Scott Larrivee told the publication.
4. The agreement will help Epic expand its population health footprint. Alan Hutchison, Epic vice president of population health, told the publication: "Working with our Madison neighbors in the fight against colorectal cancer, Exact Sciences joins the Epic community as our first diagnostic specialty customer … We're eager to expand this work as we continue to move further into genomic medicine and providing molecular insights."