Cedaron Medical and American Physical Therapy Association Team Up for a Powerful Clinical Documentation System and National Outcomes Database.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers/High-Tech Writers

APTA's Combined Sections Meeting

DAVIS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2004

Today, Cedaron Medical and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) announced the development of a comprehensive clinical software solution, APTA CONNECT, to meet the documentation needs of physical therapists.

By drawing data directly from the point-of-care documentation system, Cedaron also will simultaneously create a national outcomes database for APTA by pooling data from users all over the country. Using APTA CONNECT's state-of-the-art platform, physical therapists will be able to customize the software to their individual workflow, document all components of patient care, and track outcomes. Users will also be able to schedule their patients and communicate directly with their billing systems without repeating any steps. With a few keystrokes, clinical managers will be able to produce management reports on patient care operations from their offices.

"APTA CONNECT will provide a first-of-its-kind opportunity for physical therapists to participate in a national outcomes database, by drawing directly from the point-of-care documentation system," said APTA President Ben F. Massey, Jr., PT, MA.

"Uniting Cedaron's technical superiority with APTA's expertise in clinical practice is an exciting opportunity," said Cedaron President and CEO Karen Bond. "We have a long history of working with physical therapists and understand their clinical needs. APTA's national outcomes database that will result from CONNECT will reinforce what we have known for a long time -- physical therapy improves the quality of people's lives."

APTA's Massey added, "This project will push the profession to the cutting edge of technology. The time saved on clinical documentation translates directly into more time for patients and improved productivity. Better documentation that shows the effectiveness of what we do meets the needs of today's busy clinicians and the demands of payers and regulatory agencies."

APTA CONNECT will be introduced at APTA's Combined Sections Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, February 5-8, 2004, and is expected to be available for purchase by the end of the year. For more information, contact Cedaron directly.

The American Physical Therapy Association (www.apta.org) is a national professional organization representing more than 64,000 members. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education. Cedaron Medical (www.cedaron.com) was founded and began technological development in 1990 with partial funding from a NASA grant (SBIR). Cedaron has grown to become the authority in the health care "outcomes" market. Cedaron also provides complete solutions for cardiology, thoracic surgery, plastic surgery, hand surgery, hand therapy, and several other medical specialties. To date, Cedaron services customers in more than 15 countries and owns five related patents.