In an expansion of its rideshare program for non-emergency medical transportation, Lyft has entered into a partnership with Epic, one of the largest electronic health record providers in the U.S.
As part of the arrangement, staff at hospitals and other facilities will be able schedule Lyft rides for patients directly through EHRs. Lyft for Epic, as the service is known, represents Epic’s first direct rideshare integration.
It goes without saying that, by potentially engaging with the more than 250 million patients with an active Epic EHR, Lyft stands to enlarge its presence in and around healthcare. For providers, the Lyft/Epic partnership should add a layer of convenience: Staff won’t have to sign into a separate tool to schedule rides, plus the booking process will be streamlined by the automatic population of patient and appointment information into the ride request form.
While most health systems don’t collect data on the impact of their transportation programs, Lyft for Epic will make it possible for health systems to track how these programs affect expenditures and outcomes.
Almost 30% of U.S. health systems that partner with Epic also partner with Lyft on their non-emergency medical transportation programs. Ochsner Health and Tampa General are among Lyft’s existing health clients who have committed to Lyft for Epic.
