eHealth Global Technologies has released its Image Exchange Service for regional health information organizations (RHIOs) and Community Health Networks.

Data Distributing, a provider of digital image distribution and archiving solutions, has signed a contract to distribute FiatLux Imagings medical imaging software, Visualize, in the United States.

Cardiology departments across the United States are positioned at a precipice, staring at an array of challenges: an aging population, epidemics of obesity and diabetes, increased competition and a constant crunch for qualified staff.

Since CD and DVD storage technology entered the medical imaging arena, they have provided a simple way to eliminate expensive film costs by archiving and distributing medical images among patients and physicians. What was previously just a market for simple archival and distribution seems to be transitioning into something more as many vendors are starting to offer image management solutions for static and dynamic images, adding accompanying educational supplemental materials on CD, DVD and even flash drives, to create a more complete, portable patient record.

Widespread health IT adoption in the United States is lagging, despite the promise of EMRs to reduce medical errors, improve quality of care, and overall cost of healthcare. While radiology is already reaping the rewards of speech recognition, many feel the technology holds the key for increased EMR utilization as well.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, collaborating with federal and state health agencies, has launched a new incentive program, specifically geared toward small- to mid-size physician practices, to drive the adoption of EHRs.

OASIS, an international open standards consortium, has formed a new group to standardize the way healthcare providers, hospitals, pharmacies and insurance companies exchange privacy policies, consent directives and authorizations within and between healthcare organizations.

Researchers in Beijing, China, have found a statistically significant increase in diagnostic accuracy when using Medipatterns B-CAD Version 2 on lesions less than 1 cm in size, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.