Data Collection
The Healthcare Management Council Inc., Needham, Mass., introduces iDashboards, a tool to aid in gathering and displaying hospital performance-improvement results. iDashboards, an addition to HMC’s suite of performance-management products, collects process results through email invitations and IT system linkages. It then summarizes the results and explains its root causes.
PACS Archiving
Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM Corp., releases Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging (MI Express) for small community hospitals and imaging clinics. A scaleable, prebundled archive infrastructure solution, MI Express securely stores patient-sensitive medical imaging data for picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) applications.
Knowledge Management Tool
Zynx Health, Los Angeles, launches ZynxOrder, a knowledge-management system for compiling evidence-based order sets, alerts and reminders. The system’s 400 order set templates are based on evaluations of peer-reviewed literature, pay-for-performance measures and regulatory standards. Physicians can use these templates to develop treatments for individual patients.
Security, Authentication
Tizor, Maynard, Mass., releases Mantra, an activity auditing solution that recognizes access to personal and health-related information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) auditing capabilities provide transparent monitoring of the composite data that makes up Protected Health Information (PHI) in data servers.
Care Management
Richmond, Va.-based Health Management Corp. announces the care-management program Healthy Returns Therapeutic Alerts. The Web-based platform houses evidence-based clinical and pharmaceutical guidelines and issues alerts about clinical noncompliance, such as notifying patients when they’re overdue for an exam. A medication compliance feature alerts physicians of drug treatment issues.
Utilization Management
Extended Care Information Network Inc., Chicago, introduces its Utilization Management solution to complement its Web-based discharge planning and referral management software suite. The integrated product automates patient clinical documentation, payor communication and claim denials from admission to discharge.
EMR Suite
Irvine, Calif.-based AcerMed Inc., unveils its proprietary software suite, which includes an electronic medical record (EMR), practice-management and scheduling products. The Windows-based work flow automation products are being marketed to small and midsize practices, including solo practitioners and multisite practices.
Chart Assessment Tool
Optio Software Inc., Alpharetta, Ga., announces QuickRecord Chart Completion to help hospital health information management departments automate and accelerate the chart completion process. The product addresses chart deficiencies to ensure that they meet hospital standards and regulatory mandates.
Claims Management
Ashland, Ore.-based Plexis Healthcare Systems offers its Claims Manager Version 5.1.4. An upgrade from Version 5.0, the product now has an expanded claims adjudication functionality and forms capabilities.
Practice Management
Providence, R.I.-based LighthouseMD, introduces a new version of its CareTracker Practice Management and Clinical System. Version 5.8 offers enhanced eligibility verification, a new code-correcting option, alerts, new-patient reports and other enhancements.
Clinical Connectivity
San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco Systems Inc. introduces an upgrade to its Cisco Clinical Connection Suite. The suite contains four integrated clinical solutions: Nurse Call, Patient Monitoring, Location-Based Services and Collaborative Care. It aims to automate workflow so that clinicians can get information on patients, staff and equipment, according to the company.
Claims Management/EDI
RAM Technologies Inc., Fort Washington, Penn., releases HEALTHsuite Version 6.0, a solution to help health plans and other healthcare organizations manage benefits administration. Some new features of this upgrade are improved management of HIPAA compliance, automated claims workflow and support of real-time EDI.
Storage
Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Xiotech Corp. announces Magnitude 3D 3000e, an entry-level storage product for small and midsize operations. It features dual-controller cluster topology, is upgradable as storage needs grow and allows use of multiple classes of storage.
Dictation, Transcription Services
Lansing, N.Y.-based Tech S2 unveils CaseScribe, a wireless dictation and Web-based transcription service. The product captures remotely dictated voice notes, automatically transcribes them and makes them available from any standard Web browser in an hour or less.
