ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 3 — 85 radiologists. 50 teleradiologists. 22 hospitals. 2 million imaging exams per year. RadCare®, Inc., the radiology division of EmCare® of Dallas, Texas, needed leading-edge technology that could streamline the complex process of reading x-ray imaging exams from hospitals with different PACS systems. RadCare purchased the CARESTREAM SuperPACS™ Architecture to supply critical capabilities for a streamlined workflow: a global workflow engine to produce single patient worklist; embedded voice recognition, and the ability to interface with multiple PACS systems at various healthcare facilities.
“Carestream Health’s SuperPACS Architecture was the only solution we found that could satisfy all of our needs. It was clear the designers of this system really understood the challenges of reading for multiple unaffiliated healthcare providers,” said David Walker, RadCare’s Chief Operating Officer.
RadCare brought two hospitals online and will have all of its affiliated hospitals linked to the SuperPACS Architecture by the end of the year.
The advantages of the new workflow are compelling, according to Walker. “SuperPACS creates a global reading worklist and automatically assigns new identification numbers so different patients with the same name or hospital ID number cannot be confused. Integrated voice recognition greatly expedites reading, as does automatic pulling of prior exams from each hospital’s PACS.”
In the past, hospital staff needed to manually retrieve and send prior exams for each patient. “Automating the reading process with embedded voice recognition and easy access to prior exams not only improves radiologist productivity but also enhances efficiency for hospital staff by eliminating manual tasks. Our referring physicians and their patients also benefit because our streamlined workflow expedites reporting,” Walker adds.
The global workflow engine powered by SuperPACS Architecture equips radiology groups and healthcare providers to create an efficient workflow for reading imaging exams conducted at multiple sites with disparate PACS systems. The architecture adeptly manages multiple patient IDs using IHE profiles. On-site or remote radiologists can read for multiple sites from a common user interface and single set of applications.
RadCare provides on-site radiologists and teleradiologists that serve 22 hospitals in six states. These radiologists read 2 million imaging exams a year. RadCare is a division of EmCare, a leading provider of physician services for emergency departments, inpatient physician services, inpatient radiology management programs and anesthesiology services.
For more information on the latest digital medical imaging and healthcare IT solutions from Carestream Health please visit www.carestream.com.
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About Carestream Health
Carestream Health is a worldwide provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for life science research and drug discovery/development; x-ray film and digital x-ray systems for non-destructive testing; and advanced materials for the precision films and electronics markets.
For more information about the company’s broad portfolio of products, solutions and services, please contact your Carestream Health representative or visit www.carestream.com.
CARESTREAM is a trademark of Carestream Health.
2011