I keep forgetting how good of a resource Quora is. For those not familiar with Quora, it’s a Q&A platform. If you have a question, you can get answers from the community of users. While asking questions is interesting, it’s also fun to just browse other people’s questions and answers. In some ways it’s an active and opinionated Wikipedia.
Here’s a good example. Someone asked about Healthcare IT companies or digital health companies that are publicly traded and here’s the list they generated:
- Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX) builds electronic health records and practice management solftware
- athenahealth (NASDAQ: ATHN) provides cloud-based billing and clinical software to medical group practices
- Benefitfocus (NASDAQ: BNFT)
- Careview Communications (OTCBB: CRVW) high speed data network system deployed in a healthcare facilities using existing cable television infrastructure.
- Cerner (NASDAQ: CERN) develops EMR software to support clinical practice in hospitals, worksite clinics, physician practices and pharmacies
- Computer Programs and Systems (NASDAQ: CPSI) Develops an EMR system specifically for rural, community and critical access hospitals
- Epocrates (NASDAQ:EPOC) is a mobile health app publisher for medical professionals
- Greenway Medical (NYSE: GWAY) builds electronic health records and practice management solftware
- HealthStream (NASDAQ: HSTM) develops a learning management system for healthcare providers
- iCAD (NASDAQ: ICAD) CAD solutions for digital and film-based mammography systems
- MedAssets (NASDAQ: MDAS) provides cloud-based software for clinical spend management and revenue cycle management
- Medidata Solutions (NASDAQ: MDSO) provides a cloud-based clinical trial data management solution
- Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE) builds “enterprise imaging” software company
- Omnicell (NASDAQ: OMCL) automated solutions for hospital medication and supply management
- Quality Systems (NASDAQ: QSII) develops practice management and EHR solutions as well as HIEs for medical and dental group practices and hospitals
- Simulations Plus (NASDAQ: SLP) simulation software for use in the pharmaceutical research and in the education of pharmacy and medical students
- Streamline Health Solutions (NASDAQ: STRM) workflow and document management technology solutions for hospitals and physician groups
- Vocera (NASDAQ: VCRA) wearable voice-controlled communication badge and software platform for hospitals
- WebMD (NASDAQ: WBMD) provides health information services for consumers and healthcare professionals through its public/private portals
Pretty interesting to look through the list. Of course, it doesn’t include publicly traded companies that have a big footprint in healthcare, but do a lot of other things as well (GE, Siemens, Dell, CDW, Canon, etc etc etc).
When I saw the list of publicly traded health IT companies I wondered if something cool could be done to track these companies. I’ve noticed that HIStalk has been following the publicly traded companies a lot closer lately. A lot can be learned about the healthcare IT market by following these companies.
How many of you use Quora on a regular basis? Do you just consume content or do you ask and answer questions too?