Enterprise Imaging

Enterprise imaging brings together all imaging exams, patient data and reports from across a healthcare system into one location to aid efficiency and economy of scale for data storage. This enables immediate access to images and reports any clinical user of the electronic medical record (EMR) across a healthcare system, regardless of location. Enterprise imaging (EI) systems replace the former system of using a variety of disparate, siloed picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), radiology information systems (RIS), and a variety of separate, dedicated workstations and logins to view or post-process different imaging modalities. Often these siloed systems cannot interoperate and cannot easily be connected. Web-based EI systems are becoming the standard across most healthcare systems to incorporate not only radiology, but also cardiology (CVIS), pathology and dozens of other departments to centralize all patient data into one cloud-based data storage and data management system.

Nuance snaps up Webmedx

Nuance Communications has acquired Webmedx, a provider of transcription and editing services and clinical documentation technology for hospitals and clinics nationwide. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Writing a RIS/PACS success story

Successful RIS/PACS implementation hinges on multiple factors?ease of use, efficiency, robust features, services and more. Also critically important on the list of ingredients for success is integration.

Danish region taps Agfa for RIS/PACS

Agfa HealthCare has signed a contract with Denmark's Hovedstaden Region to install and manage its Impax RIS/PACS throughout the region's 12 hospitals. The unified system will be complemented by Impax Data Center to create a cross-regional image and data repository.

Infinitt, Medicsight ink partnership

Infinitt and Medicsight have signed a marketing partnership to offer the ColonCAD API package within its Xelis Colon application for improved detection of abnormalities within the large intestine.

Nationwide Imaging sells service division to Atlas

Nationwide Imaging has sold its service division to Atlas Medical Technologies.

FDA green-lights Toshiba advanced viz upgrade

Toshiba America Medical Systems has received FDA approval for a software upgrade to its MR VirtualExplorer workstations, which offer enhanced post-processing functionality and MR flow and velocity measurements for the cardiac package.

New digital pathology player enters market

DigiPath entered the digital pathology market July 7, claiming to provide an affordable alternative to current pathology technologies.

CareFusion to buy robotic med systems firm for $150M

CareFusion has agreed to acquire Rowa, a company specializing in robotic medication storage and retrieval systems for retail and hospital pharmacies, for approximately $150 million.

Around the web

Positron, a New York-based nuclear imaging company, will now provide Upbeat Cardiology Solutions with advanced PET/CT systems and services. 

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.