What You Should Know
- The Launch: athenahealth and b.well Connected Health have unveiled a new point-of-care workflow that allows patients to share health info via QR code, eliminating paper forms and faxes.
- The Goal: The project directly supports the CMS “Kill the Clipboard” initiative, a federal push to replace manual intake with patient-directed digital tools.
- The Tech: Patients aggregate their records (including wearable data) in the b.well app, generate a QR code, and practice staff scan it directly into athenaOne. A broader rollout is expected in 2026.
How the “QR Handshake” Works
The workflow is designed to bridge the gap between consumer apps and the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
- Aggregation: Patients use b.well-powered apps to collect their medical records and wearable data into a single view.
- Authorization: The patient selects exactly what they want to share and generates a unique QR code on their phone.
- Ingestion: Practice staff using athenaOne scan the code. The data—including clinical history and activity metrics—flows directly into the patient’s chart.
This isn’t just about saving paper; it’s about data integrity. By removing manual data entry, practices reduce errors and get a more complete picture of the patient’s health before the exam even begins.
The “Kill the Clipboard” Initiative
This launch isn’t happening in a vacuum. It is a direct response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Tech Ecosystem Initiative, specifically the pillar known as “Kill the Clipboard.”
Both companies joined the initiative in July 2025, pledging to replace fragmented, manual intake with patient-directed tools. “Patients shouldn’t have to work around healthcare technology systems to bring their data into care,” said Kristen Valdes, CEO and Founder of b.well.
