MedPort White Paper

September 2011

MedPort 101:
An Introduction to the Use of MedPort
in Healthcare Communications
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Section I: MedPort Healthcare Defined
- A brief overview of terms, concepts, and history
Section II: The Healthcare Communication Challenges
- What must first be addressed before true expansion is possible
Section III: Mobile is Changing the Landscape of Communications
- How and what is effecting how we all communicate
Section IV :The Building Blocks of MedPort
- The elements involved in creating bridges of communication
Section V: Summary and Next Steps
- Where to go from here?
Section VI: About Portico Software and MedPort
- A brief look at the company and its offerings

Copyright 2011 Portico Software Inc., All Rights Reserved

White Paper
MedPort Healthcare: An introduction to the Use of MedPort in Healthcare Communications

MedPort: An Introduction to the Use of
MedPort in Healthcare Communications
MedPort [med-port] communication of Healthcare information that
professionals face every day.
...an integrated system that creates secure bridges
This concept of “bridges of communications” has solved a
of communication based on existing infrastructure
variety of problems outside of the domain of healthcare
that dramatically reduces complexity and cost, information exchange as well, in areas such as:
while promoting the exchange of information. • Security: Removing the the inherent risk of networks, TCP/IP
and VPN technology, and eliminating all risk from network
intrusion.
INTRODUCTION
• Organizations: Automated identification, monitoring and
Can Healthcare Cost Really Be Reduced? reporting on both equipment and infrastructure resources,
from printers to communication circuits, in a manner that
MedPort - Simplifying communications exchange allow for full life cycle management of your resources.
between healthcare systems while at the same time radically • Resource Management: Creating central points to manage,
reducing cost - is an important and powerful tool for allocate, and approve certain kinds of resources and the
reducing the overall cost in healthcare which in 2010 was consumables and accessories they need to operate.
$2 trillion dollars. The healthcare community is being • Control: Multiplying the effectiveness of people by putting the
stressed to improve overall cost dynamics, reduce command and control of resources and information in their
departmental overlaps and incentivize the further hands on mobile devices with security that is enhanced beyond
deployment of cost effective technologies. simple desktop access.
MedPort can assist the Healthcare industry to simplify This report will provide a definition and basic
the exchange of information between disparate systems foundation of how and why MedPort works, in what
by creating bridges of communication based on existing context it builds bridges of communication, and the
infrastructures. advantages of this approach. This document ultimately
Unlike most new, and existing technologies, strives to serve in helping you to understand the concept
of, bridges of communication that we at MedPort apply to
technologies that are difficult to understand, deploy, and
real world problems, and why we plan to build and extend
support—which in the end only compound the Healthcare
cost—the MedPort Solution is simple, easy-to-install and on this foundation as we move MedPort from it’s current
operational roles in Healthcare, business, and carrier
operate with mobile interoperability, a critical key in
infrastructures to other business types, homes, and
solving many of the challenges we face.
government.
The MedPort solution can be easily deployed by non-
technical personnel, to include current staff as an extension I. MedPort Defined
of their daily job of assisting in the improvement of patient Definition of Terms
care. The simplicity of implementation, and operation,
We will expand each of the following definitions in greater
allows us to quickly solve current problems in
detail throughout the whitepaper. As an introduction, let’s give a
brief overview of a few key terms that are central to this paper.

Copyright 2011 Portico Software Inc., All Rights Reserved 2

White Paper

Portable Object Discovery (POD) Connector
At its root, POD provides the basis for all communications Interfacing with Healthcare Information Systems or
inside MedPort and eliminates the need for conventional servers that provide information, results, or receive orders
networking technologies and the inherit dangers of security from remote locations, a Connector is a small .NET
breaches using IP based systems and the increased costs of the application that provides a simple gateway option to
associated virtual private networks (VPN’s) or dedicated networks. connecting various systems to MedPort. Agents have some
of the same properties and can be used in some instances in
Agent
place of a .NET Connector.
A light weight application written in Java for portability,
low processor and memory usage, Agents are used primarily Central System
as an App, or small Linux appliances that require no keyboard, The core of the Central System is it’s ability to execute on
mouse, monitor, or configuration. Agents are plugged into a single-server appliance or multi-server array that scales to
networks, or wireless, then configured from a central MedPort millions of Users, Agents, and Connectors communicating
information. It is built on Java, MySQL, and runs on the
Linux, Unix OS, or Apple OSX Server.

The Central System is more like a router then what most
people think of as a server. It can be made both redundant
itself and redundant from a network outages by simply
adding an appliance server on a different network or location.
Added to facilities like RackSpace or the Cloud, MedPort
simplifies disaster recovery planning.

Security
The entire MedPort system exceeds current and future
HIPAA requirements and is based on standard excepted
security protocols used by the military. The whole system
enforces secure protocols and leaves nothing open to attack.
Mobile clients, while in many eyes seem less secure, are in
fact more secure because they add important information to
the equation, without making important user location and
device information available to third parties.

Discovery and Management
A process invented and enforced throughout the system to
web interface. They are, in fact, “dumb robots” waiting for
discover, collect, correlate, and monitor both equipment,
commands and do nothing until they are told what to do.
information, and processes, resulting in an overall reduction of
Agents only need access to the Internet to communicate with management of systems and processes.
the Central System and provide communication with printers, shared
Notification
folders, servers, and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems.
Agents “talk” standard protocols and HL7. The simplicity of Agents A key function of Event Management, built first for
make for easy deployment, management, and replacement. nationwide data/voice carriers, notifications are layered
Different kinds of Agents provide both the movement of processes delivered in open source formats to users,
information and management via industry standard protocols. consisting of both critical and informational updates. The
notification process provides proactive management and is


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designed to interoperate with current systems and
applications.

MedPort Resource1
A unique patent pending process that allows for the secure
and automated procurement of both products, and their
associated accessories, that are being monitored by the
MedPort Solution. The secure procurement process can be
accomplished with near perfect accuracy, accountability, and
automated approvals, resulting in significant cost reduction in
The art of
the procurement process and expedited fulfillment of product
orders. building bridges
Printing
The MedPort Solution handles printing in a very different
of communications to
way then conventional printing. A look at current methods
will better help define this operation.
bring different systems,

locations, and operations

together is to make it so

As an example; when a report is printed to a remote
simple that which is
printer (doctor’s office ) from the hospital or lab it goes
across a VPN or LAN which, when addressing the remote
printer takes a typical 300k document and turns it into a difficult, so anyone can
20to 100 meg print file. In most cases this requires an
additional Windows Print Server in the main location.

In contrast, MedPort’s remote printing catalogs and logs use it as a part of their
according to HIPAA requirements for reprinting, then encrypts
in 37k bytes and communicates the 300k document to the normal daily activity.
remote Agent, which then prints and deletes the original file
from memory in a few seconds. This process both simplifies
operations and allows the use of existing office Internet (or
wireless) access, instead of specialized equipment, to be used
without interruption. This process makes setup, add, moves,
changes very simple, and inexpensive.

Customer
The customer is the doctor, millions of caregivers, support
staff, the patient, and their families.


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Mobile • better user responsiveness

Mobile technologies are quickly becoming an essential tool To put it simply, greater intelligence in communications
for many organizations. MedPort is at the forefront of allows for simpler operations for users and overall
integrating multiple mobile platforms into their larger systems organizational success.
and networks. One way we do this is by incorporating our Simplicity Creates Opportunities for Better Services
Agent technology into a native app available on the iPhone,
The legacy of data and video communications over the
iPad, and Android platform with a secondary platform offered
last 20 years have become so complicated that we are
for Blackberry and Windows. An example of this is the iPhone
dependent upon highly trained technical personnel to
iMonitorPLUS app that transforms your smart phone into a
implement and support them. However, this needs to
handheld Network Operation Center (NOC).
change if rapid progress is to be made. Moving forward, we
Mobile Apps in MedPort are developed to be “Open Portals” need to be able to balance the increase in technology with
that allow for the delivery of reports via the MedPort Agent the ability to use everyday personnel to implement and
technology as well as for marketing and informational delivery. maintain that technology.
The term “mobile” means that these apps can be used for
At the core, communication is connecting people and
marketing, courier pickup-and-delivery, scanning freight,
services together. We have seen phenomenally fast growth
training, or many other needs inside the Healthcare domain.
recently with services that use two forms of communications,
Standard Records social and viral. Social communications include services
A Standard Record is a technique and underlying technology like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Viral services include
used to assist in the delivery of information throughout the services like EverNote, TED, and Strava, where users are
MedPort System in forms and formats dictated by the user or offered a particular set of services online via the cloud and
operator needs. Based on Open Source standards and formats, it mobile App.
saves time, resources, and promotes the rapid flow of information
between dissimilar systems without changing the basic system.

II. Communication Challenges in Healthcare
What must first be addressed before true expansion is possible

Communications built with scalable building blocks can
create lasting value and positively impact fundamental
business objectives. Secure “bridges of communication”
based on existing infrastructures will facilitate advantages Simple
such as: Operation
• cost savings
• interoperability of systems
• increased awareness of operations
• mobility
MedPort
• better resource management
Value
• reduction of paper Proposition
• increased user participation
• inclusion of legacy systems Technically Lower
• reduction in network requirements Superior Cost
• redundant services


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All forms of successful communication today have two and early 60’s did. The Healthcare industry must find ways to
things in common with social and viral services. use this inexpensive and plentiful superhighway for all
a) easy to setup by the user communications.
b) simple to use, requiring no formal training In light of this, there is a vitally important question that the
Sustainable communication infrastructures must combine Healthcare must address before embracing the Internet and
these two features in an environment where automation, mobile communications: are they secure enough?
mobility, and a multiplicity of user services are needed.
Security is a Priority That Must Be Addressed
To be successful the support and operations of new
To ask the question, “Is it secure?” is to admit that it may,
Healthcare infrastructures cannot place complexity and costs
in fact, not be, or there is at least, a warranted concern. Every
on our existing work environments that are struggling with
child, when their mom or dad tells them that there are no
increasing challenges and shrinking budgets.
monsters in the closet, has silently asked themselves, “When
This is the reality that we must address today. did they leave?
Using Current Infrastructures to Drive Down Cost This question must be asked when it comes to patient
At the core of today’s worldwide infrastructure is the records and the the interactive flow of Healthcare information
Internet and mobile communications—forces that are between different domains and communities of caregivers.
reshaping how everything we know works, much like Addressing the security question is critical before the use
Eisenhower’s nationwide Interstate highway in the late 50’s of this ubiquitous and plentiful communications super
highway is possible on a scale that will truly affect, and help
drive down, the cost of Healthcare.

Integration of Current Staff and Caregivers is a Must
One of the greatest challenges that Healthcare faces today is
providing assistance to overtaxed and understaffed service
providers and their management as they move towards system
expansion or replacement. No changes can be made to current
systems unless we first take this into consideration.

A Healthcare user said it best, “How can I be expected to put
something new in or change anything I am using if I don’t have the
time to manage what I have today?” This is perhaps the biggest
road block to Healthcare expansion and savings today, and costs
users billions of dollars every year in added Healthcare expenses.

This challenge has left Healthcare outdated and operating on
a cobblestone road, while the rest of the world moves along on
the superhighway.

Addressing this, and the interoperability with current systems,
will be the challenge before any new systems, automation, or real
savings can be realized. Similarly, affordable and plentiful
produce wasn’t available to the East Coast of the U.S. until the
Interstate superhighway allowed for the cheap, fast, and
convenient movement of freight.


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Interoperability with Current Systems effect on other forms of communication will have a lasting
effect on society.
Healthcare has, because of tremendous growth, and
outdated systems, strained resources. Today, different c) An industry-creating tsunami, the Apple iPad now accounts
for an impressive 1 percent of web browsing worldwide and
systems and interfaces have created it’s very own jungle of
2.1 percent in the U.S. alone. And this is only after 14 months.
sorts. Because of this, special interfaces for these systems
Its effect, and copycats is one that will change our basic
have been created with their own set of challenges that must interface ideas to many industries including Healthcare.
be addressed.
To be efficient and interact with with “the customer”
They include an alphabet soup of names and terms like,
how they want to be connected and communicated too,
EMR, EHS, FTP, SFTP,SMB, and HL7 to
Healthcare must find ways to interface with today’s
mention just a few. For any system
mobile services and devices in ways that are open and do
expansion or meaningful change to take place in
not limit the customer’s choices.
these healthcare islands and communities, user implemented
systems must be created. These changes, in concert with a number of aspects of
mobile communication, must be taken into consideration....
the movement of information, notification methods, message
III. Mobile is Changing the Landscape of updates, changes, basic engagement, customer interaction,
Communications marketing information, and pure education content via the mobile
platform. To be successful and cost effective, these aspects must
How and what is effecting how we all interact
be addressed.

Mobile Growth in the US and World These trees in the forest stand alongside perhaps the most
important contribution to mobility, “the App”. How, and when
In 2010 in the US there were 68 million2 users over
Healthcare adopts to these game changers will determine in large
the age of 25 using smartphones. Around the globe 77 percent of
part its ability to control one-fifth of the 2 trillion dollars in
the world population, or 5.3 billion people3 are mobile subscribers.
healthcare cost spent each year.
Caregivers are in the fastest growing groups of users.

The customer, the patient, family members, caregivers and the
support staff that make up healthcare that use the mobile device IV. The Building Blocks of MedPort
as their primary communication device is growing. There are The elements involved in creating bridges of communication
595,800 establishments that make up the healthcare industry”4, Paradigm Shifts
and 14 million people in direct caregiving, with a number much
With MedPort, a paradigm shift has been created that makes secure
larger servicing the healthcare segment itself and mobile will be
bridges of communication within the confines of existing
their primary means of communications.
infrastructures (Internet and
Mobile Interaction and Efficiencies mobile communication)
Before we approach interaction with mobile users possible. Perhaps an greater
to create maximum efficiencies, we must first recognize three shift is the possibility to exploit
important changes that have occurred in just the last four years: the full potential of newer
a) The majority of our interaction has changed from the desk mobile technologies with a
web browser and phone to the handheld communicator we promise of even more secure
call the smartphone. communications within the
confines of current caregiver systems,
b) Social and viral communications are the fastest and preferred
without straining current staff.
method of communication for the growing population. It’s


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A close look at these claims should be examined in light of realize was that there were over 75 million users that
conventional network technologies in use today in the Healthcare immediately knew how to use the iPad.
industry, and the cost infrastructure model required to support
MedPort’s interface to the Healthcare user is the Agent.
current systems.
Made to be simple, requiring no formal training, deployable in
What impact will these bridges of communication have? Linux appliance, mobile App, or desktop system tray utility,
How these systems the Agent creates a paradigm shift in communications. Like
can address the cost of Healthcare, it’s expansion, full the iPads competitors have found out, simple is better in
inclusion of the Internet, and even social and viral services todays busy world where users can’t absorb new technologies.
used by the masses today and there impact should be looked
Integration with Current Systems
at.
In the forefront of the news has been the automation of
Healthcare and the rapidly growing need of Healthcare providers
Interoperability in System Design
(doctors, clinics, etc.) to move from paper to Electronic Healthcare
For any system to be effective in todays world it must be Systems (EHS), or Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
able to do four things very well or it will go the way of the
dinosaurs of the information age. Systems must: The process of automation, away from paper and it’s
burdensome cost, has been slowed and in many cases stopped
a) Scale maximin efficiency with adoption of mobile
because of the lack of simple ways to integrate the many
devices and technologies that include the App.
connections needed to link each doctor’s office to different labs,
b) Use Open Standards for easy adoption and lower cost.
hospitals, insurance, and other Healthcare providers. Chief among
c) Contain self-healing properties for maximum reliability. the problem is figuring out who is going to pay for it, when the
d) Maintain simplicity of operation throughout the whole average cost today is in the thousands of dollars. Other factors
of the systems. include the time it takes to implement connection between
In designing MedPort these four things were at the systems and locations, which is an average of six weeks, and
forefront of the design to make the setup, operation, and the involvement of numerous IT departments who are
support so simple it could be learned within the confines of stressed and overburdened.
users current job responsibilities with little or no training. MedPort’s approach has eliminated these problems by
In the MedPort architecture three open technologies were providing bridges of communication with Agent technology
used, Linux/Unix, Java and MySQL throughout the system using Agents and mobile devices that eliminate all together
while several Windows desktop and server interfaces were the need to use complicated and outdated types of
built on .NET for maximum user experience. The overall communication. With Agent technology, IT involvement,
design was to limit the “moving parts” and consolidate the complicated equipment, multi-department engagements that
administration interface into one place. take weeks and months to coordinate, are no longer needed.

Simplified Operation for User Acceptance Agents, when placed on a doctor’s office network, use
"Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication" Leonardo da Vinci standard protocols and methods used in Healthcare to talk to
printers, shared folders, and Electronic Healthcare Systems
A challenge of technology is explaining what something is,
(EHR, EMR), regardless of manufacture type. They do not use
what it does, and how it operates. Being simple to use is key
conventional networks or require security changes.
to user acceptance and interaction through the testing, setup
and operation stages. A side benefit of building bridges of communication with
MedPort is that the need for HIPAA audits, virus programs,
A good example of this is the introduction of the iPad.
security controls, threat analysis, outside resources, and multi-
When the iPad was first introduced, analysts and critics
equipment and IP tracking that each has their own support
scoffed at it being nothing but a “big iPhone or iPod Touch with
cost is eliminated. When these cost savings are realized,
the same button at the bottom.” What these people failed to


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further expansion and savings can be found through additional Physical evidence of this success was in our own facilities with the
communication possible with scaling options available with elimination of 800 pounds of router, firewall and communications
MedPort and our Agent technology. equipment, associated maintenance contracts, and 80 amps of power,
replaced with a device that operated on a 150 watt lightbulb.
Integrating the Physical Health Information Systems
Interoperability and mobile interfaces are also a benefit of
One of the great challenges in the Healthcare industry is
this operation using POD and General Records running on
how to integrate dissimilar health information systems made
services that are easy to scale by simply adding more lightweight
by different software companies, operated on different
Linux/Unix appliance servers on the same network. Redundancy
platforms, and located in different locations. Strides have
can be further enhanced, as Agents can be told in mass to talk to
been made with interface standards like HL7 (hl7.org), but
different systems or locations, making network redundancy and
these address only part of the problem.
disaster recovery a non-issue. MedPort appliance servers can
With the requirement to include 589,000 potential support hundreds of thousands of connections with cost
locations, millions of potential mobile connections, and dynamics and possibilities that open new ways to communicate.
notifications to even more users comes several issues that
must be answered: Connecting with Centralized Healthcare Systems

a) Interoperability with disparate systems in different locations. One thing that MedPort’s technology had to address for
b) Scalability with adequate resources to offer everyone Healthcare to be effective was the interface into lab, hospital,
support. and provider systems in order to transmit orders, reports, and
c) Redundancy in light of the increased use and thus other information.
dependency of new services. The resulting invention is Connectors that can be installed
d) Additional mobile interfaces and the stress that the and work with current interface systems to move information
inclusions create on resources.
to and from MedPort communications services. A second
In addressing this dilemma first for the nations carriers and implementation is HL7, which is a growing standard when
business infrastructures MedPort addressed theses issues communicating between Healthcare Systems.
that are each by themselves roadblocks to system
In operation HL7 and Connectors are toll booths on the
automation, expansion, change, and most importance...cost
Golden Gate Bridge5 and MedPort is the bridge itself.
reduction. A careful examination of these central issues are
key to addressing MedPort’s operation and more important
the needs that face healthcare.

In addressing the scalability and redundancy issues,
MedPort’s predecessor systems integrated what was invented
and today is called Portable Object Discovery (POD). POD
has two goals. First, to remove the dependency on then
conventional network technologies, lease lines, Frame-Relay,
VPN and their offshoot hardware technologies that create a
technical jungle. Second, to eliminate the security risk and
complication from the transport of information via TCP/IP as
the underlying connector. The prospect of monitoring and
managing thousands of carriers’ remote locations from a central
location, the compound problems inherent to this, and the
duplication of IP addresses drove the first invention, both
simplifying and radically reducing cost.


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Mobile Services e) Secure notes or the beginning of asset tracking so users and
administrators can securely with above HIPAA and today’s
During the last few evolutions of mobility offerings carrier security standards share little bits of information like passwords,
networks and vendor hardware MedPort and it’s parent door codes, etc. Mobile Bluetooth devices like Cipher Labs tiny
company, Portico Software learned three valuable lessons: pocket barcode scanner6 makes tracking assets and supplies
a) The networks were to slow for most practicable applications possible from any mobile device.
and not very reliable. f) Resource Button7 a patent pending feature that helps users of all
b) The hardware cost way to much for any real deployment. kinds by giving them their own personal technical assistant.
c) The loading of software was to cumbersome and could not
be done by the user. The sharing of secure information on mobile devices is
made possible by a variation of POD that on mobile devices.
To address the needs in Healthcare, we have added one
Security is achieved by “mixing” the unique phone number,
other lesson based on years of experience and user polls:
device EMI8 number, pin, time, date and GPS coordinates with
d) the same application needs to be used for various operations, a unique exchange protocol to confirm or delete devices so
as time, money, training, and user rolls are varied.
that mobile devices are in fact in most instances more secure
MedPort has invented several technologies, to address this than dedicated resources. At the same time it is user intuitive,
critical requirement, that work together to provide one taking the hardest part of security away from users.
platform that can be adopted by different user domains and
In conjunction with the major App stores, MedPort’s
customized for any organization. This addresses not just the
solution for Healthcare offers development resources that can
problems of the Healthcare industry, but business in general.
be used by both technical and marketing departments. It is
Mobile deployment today is made possible by the standard simple, easy to use, and deploy, while being secure and free.
App and the App Store that Apple pioneered and is provided
This is our contribution to solving one of the biggest
by the major players that include Apple, Android, Blackberry,
problems we all face...the cost of healthcare.
and Microsoft. The impact on cost can not be stressed
enough in conjunction with MedPort Agent technology.

MedPort’s first iterations were tested in the summer of
2008 and an open framework App will be published that
provides for the Healthcare industry what could be best
thought of areas in a department store rom which to offer
different merchandize. The areas are:
a) Information exchange allowing the secure viewing of reports and
information.
b) marketing and awareness to encage the user from.
c) Management of resources like printers and networking equipment
with utilization so IT and suppliers can interact leading to greater Notification Security
cost and support matrixes. Interaction Verification
d) Notifications or “Shout Outs” as they are called in the new
systems that use Apple, Android, Blackberry, notifications
services, SMS, and e-mail to shout out to users when
Information Organization
communication or updates are needed.
Exchange Mobile Resources
✴Shout Outs as an example could be used by Emergency room staff to
alert someone to make their way to the front desk with no cost to the
hospital and while being completely secure.


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Integrated Blue Tooth and Scanning Technology The big win is that these new features brings users, remote
offices, vendors together to measure, react, control, and support
One of the more dramatic changes to communications is in
printing needs across the healthcare and business domain while
barcode, QR Code, and RFI technology that are powering
helping to reduce overall cost.
everything from the handheld scanner, heart monitor, weight,
and blood gas tools as an example that work with the mobile Multiple Services Integrated to Increase Savings
devices we talked about. These devices are today islands and
MedPort’s general business side is bringing new and
need to be integrated into current systems for healthcare
important tools that help healthcare professionals across the
provider cost savings to be realized. MedPort offers bridges to
board from user to management, organize everything, with
help integrate these tools, making rapid integration and
access from anywhere, allowing individuals to take control, thus
deployment to end users possible.
striping away the complexity of almost anything technical with
User Interfaces Built Around Support Resources capabilities that allow us to share our knowledge with others.

One of the common reason for not coming out with These new features are being offered in a format that will
anything new in healthcare mirrors businesses reasons today, allow groups to add their own features and enhancements
and is summoned up in one question, “Who is going to support based on several specific user needs that will be introduced
anything new”? in the three areas; organization, access and control.

Organizing Everything Features
One could argue that building a system that can scale to massive
sizes and includes all kinds of users and services is a bad thing in that is
creates a massive technological organizational problem in and of itself
In the rush to care for the patient and support current - we have built enough systems to ask, and answer that question.
systems this must be addressed first before any expansion or We built MedPort to be your technical brain. MedPort helps
cost savings can be attempted in healthcare. MedPort’s eliminate the technical complexity in everyone’s life. You use MedPort
answer was to build the support infrastructure first, learn to simplify your life, taking control of almost anything that has a battery
those important lessons making possible the creation of or power cord, regardless of where it's located. You get less stress and
services that are intuitive. Then, when the “customer” has a more done.
question we have the resources to help.
a) Discovery - With MedPort and you can find out all sorts of
That’s what we did that starting in 2001 with the first information and have an easy way to store and access it. There
Event Management system built on Microsoft .NET Beta are four kinds of discovery: 1) Agent Discovery, 2) Social Discovery,
software and supporting CDP mobile devices; learn how to and 3) CompareIT, and (4 Manual Entry. All are central to the
build scalable support services that support the customer. system operation and essential to simplifying complicated systems
Special Printing Options to Increase Efficiency with little or no interaction needed by the user.
b) Organize - Get rid of complexity with a feature called Places
One of the big problems we all face is paper. While
and Things! Take the complex and make it simple by
printing will never go away, and in many healthcare and
keeping track of, managing all the technical stuff that we
other environments increase, MedPort is bringing three tools
cannot live without in our personal and business lives.
together to offer one service across multiple platforms:
c) Notes - Use notes so you don’t have to keep track of all those
• UltraThin Remote printing tools similar to what is now available
to healthcare and used to print reports to remote printers. little pieces of paper you keep passwords and phone numbers on.
• Printer consumable management that notifies and facilitate better Think of it as a sticky note with an added camera lens, and voice
remote printer support regardless of where it is located.
recorder folded onto you desktop and mobile device. Technical
• Awareness tools that help users manage, and replace supplies
with perfect accuracy via both the help desk and mobile clients guys, you won’t forget anymore. Notes can be securely shared.
using our “Resource” button tools9 .


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d) Assets - With asset tracking you can keep track of both d)Group Up - Need to bring more then two people together to
technical and non-technical assets. Assets is an extension of share information across the Healthcare domain. Yep, we
Notes and provides users with a simple, powerful way to have the same problem so we invented Group Up tools.
automate the addition, and retention of equipment asset e) Document Sharing (DS) - Move documents across the
information. Use MedPort to find, move and certify that all healthcare domain securely in all sorts of ways. Next time
your assets are where they should be. And that’s just the start. you need to send a healthcare or any document across the
e) Security - Keep secure all your server, web, equipment healthcare domain we hope you say DS it!
passwords, serial numbers, notes, and support phone numbers f) Integration Tools - For that Wiz kid wanting to add a feature that
in one place and secure. Then share information with selected will save the Healthcare provider zillions but has no way to do it
people or groups as needed securely so you can concentrate we invented IT Tools. Use MedPort to build your own special
on what’s important. applications and publish it on MedPort10 or an App or Web store
near you and it can use MedPort to bridge communications. It’s
Access From Anywhere Features
about sharing, so that’s why we built the “road”.
You use MedPort from any device with a web browser,
These new features are how we plan to improve patient care and
smartphone, iPad, tablet, or mobile device, so it’s always at hand.
lower cost, while not decreasing services. We believe that these
With the help of our partners we are designing universal apps that
features, addressing these three areas—organizing everything,
work on all the major providers that include Apple, Android,
access from anywhere, and taking control—will enable Healthcare
Blackberry, and Microsoft and are to be used by every area of
providers, users, and vendors extend bridges of communication.
healthcare.

Take Control Features
MedPort goes one step farther by also letting you share,
contribute, and combine your knowledge and “Resources” with
others in very unique ways
a) Management - Monitor and manage almost everything that has a
power cord or battery from your desk or mobile device.
b)Connection Helper - Take the guessing game out of, “is it up, or is it
down” with Connection Helper. Does your IP phone or Skype…
NOT quite right? Is the Agent not reporting in? Connection Helper
makes even a novice a network expert whether you’re working from
home, the doctors office across town, in the office or on-the-road.
c) Resource Button - Did you ever order the wrong thing, open
it then try and return it? With MedPort never order the
wrong printer cartridge, cable, or widget again. Neat thing
about the handy Resource button is it works in the
background like your own personal technical brain and when
you need the right answer, correct part or know how to do
something, it’s there. Better still take your medical supplies
and use the Resource feature to track, dispense and deploy
them. We think it will be the next best thing to aspirin for a
headache.


White Paper

V. Summary and Next Steps VI. About Portico Software and MedPort
Where to go from here for us A brief look at the company and its offerings

We’ve laid out a basic framework for building bridges Portico Software specializes in building communication-
of communication today and the direction for tomorrow: centric software solutions. Based in Texas, we have offices in
what it is, why it’s powerful, and what the challenges we Phoenix Arizona, Austin, and Arlington Texas.
face are. So what’s next? Here are some brief starter Portico Software is comprised of professionals that have
questions to get clarity on before embarking on building over 200 years of experience in the communications business
bridges of communications. combined, and have been developing software for help desks,
Questions to Ask portals, communications, mobile, communications carriers,
As with any significant undertaking, there are many specific and Healthcare since 1995.
questions to answer as you think about building bridges of Portico has been in the business of building software for the
communications to link healthcare organizations together. communications carrier market, Healthcare, general business market
Is it working? space with it first products built around its own help desk portal
If we keep doing what we are doing today what will be the software and Portico Monitoring, a help-desk and monitoring system
outcome and can it bring the various Healthcare industry built into software as a service application available on the web. This
domains together while at the same time bring the mobile was the first of its kind and is in use today.
equations power in play. Portico also makes software that increase the accuracy and
Are you Sharing Information? efficiency in labs with an integrated scanning solution that
Do your current systems allow a free flow of information saves time, and by using it reduces malpractice insurance cost.
sharing and what will it take to make this happen. Web Site Contact Information
Time to Market? For more information about MedPort or to request a copy of
How responsive is are your current systems and can they the White Paper contact us on the web at medport.com or
change to adopt to the requirements of how users operate save time and scan the QR Code from your mobile device and
What are your security initiatives? you will be prompted depending on your device to download
How can this and other technologies be used to reduce or be sent a contact vCard.
exposure to increasing threats while simplifying operations, audits
and concerns about offering new services that can reduce cost.

Do you have a mobile strategy?
What are the steps to embrace to fully utilize mobile and
social technologies to share and communicate.

Asset and Resource Management Strategy?
Is their a strategy in place that can bring resources,
partners and vendors together to bring about new strategies
for supporting infrastructures that will improve cost savings

What is Success?
Can we define a short list of things if we do in building
bridges of communication with both new, social and mobile
tools will define success across the domains of Healthcare?


White Paper

Document Information 8Source http://tinyurl.com/4ev58a - The International Mobile
Equipment Identity or IMEI is a number, usually unique, to identify
Version S3V7.1-1228 produced by the MedPort Group
GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite
creative team on a MAC with the following tools; Apple phones. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of
Pages, Adobe Fireworks, Illustrator, Bridge, Photoshop, and the phone. It can also be displayed on the screen of the phone by
QR Code Generator. Document sharing made possible via entering into the keypad on most phones.
DropBox, Starbucks Coffee and Whole Foods community
table.
9 These tools are being offered to suppliers to facilitate better
interaction, more timely, and accurate replacement of supplies.
Reference and Resources
10 Our first partner is building a QR Code application that speeds
All features, trade names and quotes are copyright Portico pickup and delivery of specimens and will be free on iTunes.
Software, Inc. unless noted below. MedPort Resource is a
trademark and Patent Pending . Secure Bridges of
Communication and Secure Bridges of Communication based
on Existing Infrastructures, Portable Object Discovery, are
trademarks of Portico Software Inc.

Apple, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch are trademarks of Apple
Corporation. BlackBerry is a trademark of Rim, Inc., Android is
copyright Google, Inc. Microsoft, .NET and SQL are copyright
Microsoft Corporation.

1MedPort Resource; Patent Pending and a Trademark of Portico
Software, Inc.

2Source http://tinyurl.com/y9ztr34 - US to add 80 million new
smartphone users by 2011

3Source http://tinyurl.com/2wukeo9.3 - 5.3 billion mobile users
based on mobiThinking statistics 2011

4 Source http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs035.htm - U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics 2010 - 2011 Edition

5Golden Gate bridge by Lauren, one great artist who in a child like
eye shows off the great wonder better then any picture I ever took...,
http://tinyurl.com/3dtzh2b

6Cipher Lab’s Bluetooth Pocket Size Scanner used with MedPort was
so accurate and the perfect size to use with the iPhone, iPad and
Androids we had to mention this one device http://
www.cipherlab.com/catalog.asp?ProdID=255

7 Resource Button operation and features released today under NDA
to its clients,vendors and partners and includes two US patents one
of which is pending


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