New player in practice management software market

Brisbane-based software development company, Medical Spectrum, has extended its operations into Western Australia and expanded the range of products in its healthcare management system.

Medical Spectrum develops integrated clinical and practice management software for general practitioners, radiology practices, dentists and medical specialists.

Medical Spectrum now has range of products for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms that include fully integrated systems for appointments, billing and accounting information, medical records, diagnostic results and reporting facilities. A completely new Radiology Information System has now been officially released, and is currently being installed into a third large radiology practice.

Managing Director of Medical Spectrum, Ian Threlfall, said the company opened a branch office in Nedlands, Perth during May following a merger with Medsoft, a significant distributor in WA's health IT industry.

"Medical Spectrum's branch office now has five people in sales and technical support, as well as an established client base in WA," Mr Threlfall said. The merge with Medsoft will see Ron Hodgson join Medical Spectrum as business development manager. Another merge this month with Genie Solutions will bring Dr Paul Carr to the team as a medical and technical adviser.

Currently based in Bundaberg, Genie Solutions supplies clinical and practice management software for Apple Macintosh systems.

Dr Carr will continue to develop the Genie product, which will become part of the suite for Medical Spectrum's range of healthcare management products.

"The mergers with these two companies has been a strategic move to consolidate Medical Spectrum's position in the medical IT market as a provider of premium healthcare applications," Mr Threlfall said. "Medical Spectrum's plan was to strengthen its resources by bringing on board these two talented and respected IT people as well as the goodwill and assets of their business operations.

"With almost 40 staff and more than 700 clients throughout Australia, Medical Spectrum is a company that has proven that it can provide high quality IT solutions to the health market."

Mr Threlfall said the health and IT industries had undergone significant changes through mergers and corporatisation that was changing the face of both markets.

"There has been considerable activity in the medical industry over the past two years as smaller general practices are being consolidated into larger corporate groups," Mr Threlfall said. "The IT industry has also been pushed along by the dotcom phenomenon, and substantial money and resources has been invested into the health IT industry."

Mr Threlfall said Medical Spectrum had been approached many times to quickly expand its client base through general mergers, but the company was committed to strategic expansion and long term success that involved the right people and the best resources.

"We want to supply large corporate entities with specialised healthcare software and tools to manage their growing practice," he said. "Medical Spectrum's systems are highly flexible and functionally rich so they can be tailored to suit individual practices or corporatised groups with contract doctors and associated services.

"Medical Spectrum aims to become IT partners for both individual and corporatised healthcare operators."

Medical Spectrum recently moved its head office to new premises at The Green Corporate Centre in Loganholme, Brisbane, an environmentally friendly, energy efficient complex developed by leading experts in the fields of energy, efficiency and environmental planning.

Occupying more than half the space of the new office complex, Medical Spectrum has taken 640sqm of space on the top floor of The Green Corporate Centre on a five-year lease with a five-year option.