BOSTON, Mass. – February 16, 2011 –Boston Software Systems® (www.bostonsoftwaresystems.com) today introduced Cognauto® for the McKesson STAR healthcare information system. Built on the Microsoft.Net® Framework, Cognauto is the next generation platform for workflow automation and systems integration. By using intuitive, content-aware automation development, healthcare organizations benefit from increased efficiency and accuracy, and reduced costs and resources. Boston Software Systems is demonstrating Cognauto at HIMSS11 in Booth 2180, February 20-24 in Orlando, FL.

With Cognauto, Boston Software Systems is taking workflow automation to the next level. It doesn’t just work for the user; it works with the user to accomplish critical, time-consuming tasks in all areas of the hospital. It was designed on the Microsoft .NET platform to scale with a growing infrastructure and take advantage of integration with future technologies.

Cognauto represents more than 20 years of experience in healthcare by providing specific content and capabilities for automating workflow in McKesson STAR.  Cognauto is technically cognizant of McKesson STAR, making automation development faster and more intuitive. A true development platform, Cognauto is pre-built with many of the most common tasks associated with workflow automation. These pre-built functions make automation development easier, reduce common mistakes  and speed the development time.  Its user interface echoes typical Microsoft Office products, making users feel more comfortable with its icons and toolbars, and making it easier for new users to learn.

A primary goal for today’s healthcare organizations is how to optimize workflows and capture the resulting benefits in time and cost savings. Reese Walker at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, one of Georgia's largest comprehensive regional medical centers, has done just that. As lead financial systems analyst for this 443-bed teaching hospital, Walker continuously looks for ways to automate manual tasks and drive efficient operations in every department – from registration and billing to claims – to enhance the revenue cycle. “Cognauto is easy to use, user friendly and smart,” said Walker.

“Since it is built for the McKesson STAR platform, it knows the steps I need to take to connect to the system and to build reliable automations quickly and ensure tasks are completed error-free,” added Walker.  “I have used Cognauto to automate account updates and account postings and am impressed with how quickly the automations run.  The user interface made sense to me immediately and reduced the need for manual coding. Cognauto is creating a standard of automation that is a must-have in our organization.”
 
“The pace of change in healthcare is more demanding than ever. Meaningful Use is providing incentive for hospitals to digitize health information and automate even more processes,” said Steve Cohen, executive vice president of Boston Software Systems. “Boston Software Systems has taken its decades of experience supporting thousands of customers and built a new automation technology that assists users in the development of automated workflow. Boston Software Systems is continuously helping healthcare organizations become more efficient, saving weeks of work and thousands of dollars, and enabling them to focus on their core competencies.”

Unique features of Cognauto include:

Management Tools – Cognauto’s console allows users to monitor the progress of workflows and orchestrate the scheduling of their project without regard to their complexity. This includes maximum flexibility for scheduling all or just portions of a workflow.  Additionally, the console provides for internal documentation so that details of the workflow are quickly audited and troubleshooting is simplified.

Built-in Error and Exception Handling – Built-in error and exception handling is configured graphically, eliminating the need to write code to log errors or notify people of what is going on. In other technologies, the user must define how to manage and report on problems, and manually correct them, which can significantly delay workflows. Pre-built routines can also automatically reset the application to its starting point.

Data Entry from Input Sources – Using a graphical interface, Cognauto can set up sophisticated workflow processing without having the user write code.  The technology can also automatically figure out how to read and process files from any kind of format, as well as define and manage a work queue of files or allow users to choose specific files for processing.

Auditing and Reporting – Just as a person doing a manual job needs to report to management, Cognauto provides robust reporting and audit capabilities – allowing users to manage automations. This oversight means that processes are reconciled quickly and quality assurance is improved.

Function Library – Boston Software Systems is managing a library of functions that are specific to general  automation activities, as well as those common to McKesson STAR. Customers may share and reuse these functions. Stored centrally, this library will continue to grow as customers use Cognauto throughout their organizations.

Pricing and Availability
Cognauto will be available early in the second quarter of 2011. The software is sold as a run-time or developer license, and as a server-oriented license for use on terminal servers, Citrix or virtual servers.  In the future, Boston Software Systems plans to roll out Cognauto for other major healthcare information systems, including additional McKesson systems, Siemens, Cerner and MEDITECH.