A number of health-care insurers and service providers, an industry not generally known for being on the leading-edge of IT, are adopting business-intelligence tools from Crystal Decisions Inc. New users such as CorVel, Per-Se Technologies, and P5e Health Services are using the vendor's software primarily to provide their clients with quicker access to financial and administrative information.

While advanced information technology is widely used for diagnosing and treating patients, the administrative side of the business is still catching up, says CorVel president Gordon Clemons. CorVel manages health-care programs for employers, overseeing workers' compensation claims and payments for injuries suffered in auto accidents.

In April, CorVel began using Crystal Decisions' reporting software to provide risk managers and workers' compensation program administrators with a dashboard view of expenditures and other data. "The use of Web sites to manage insurance programs is still relatively cutting edge," Clemons says.

Other recent health-care adopters of Crystal Decision's software include Per-Se, which processes health-care bills and payments, and P5e Health Services, a provider of health-benefit management services via the Internet.