A NEW IMAGE
Kodak Digital Science is a new family of medical viewing stations designed for teleradiology and physician review. The applications from Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., distribute DICOM-compliant images on PCs running the Windows NT operating system. Reports and medical images are available in realtime at the hospital, clinic or remote site with a network gateway feature.
IT’S A THIN WORLD AFTER ALL
HBO & Company, Atlanta, released its thin client server, Connect 2000, allowing users to access HBOC clinical and business applications in a Web-based environment. Connect 2000 is designed to cut hardware costs by configuring applications on a server connected to network computers or older, memory-bound PCs.
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT UPDATED
Medical Manager Corp., Tampa, Fla., released the latest version of The Medical Manager practice management information system. Enhanced in Version 9.0 are EDI capabilities, including a pharmacy interface with the ProxyNet network and a laboratory systems interface. Other features include modules for medical records, provider credentialing, patient flow tracking, case management and patient education.
RESTRUCTURING REVEALS RIS
Medaphis’ new division, Atlanta-based Per-Se Technologies, released the ProgRIS 98 radiology information system. ProgRIS 98 handles patient scheduling, order management, patient tracking, image management, diagnostic reporting, inventory control and mammography reporting. Reports can be accessed remotely through the Internet. Features include voice recognition integration, electronic signature and automatic routing.
NETWORKING THE RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Computed Radiography Quality Assurance View Station from Analogic Corp., Peabody, Mass., allows users to view imaged data on existing hardware configurations via a TCP/IP-compatible network. Archive functions provide access to 1.6 TB of data or up to 100,000 CR images. Client/server packages are available.
A DRUG MANAGEMENT TOOL
Three new products from PCS Health Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., offer insurers, managed care organizations and plan sponsors decision support tools for drug management. ReSolve 200 and ReSolve 300 each provide clinical reporting and analysis functions, and draw prescription claims data from more than 570 million records stored in the PCS data warehouse. OnDemand Reporting allows PCS customers to search for and view reports online.
ROVING FOR PATIENT DATA
New in mobile computing is DataRover 840 from General Magic, Sunnyvale, Calif. The 18.4 ounce handheld, LCD touchscreen device contains a MIPS R3000 RISC processor with 8MB ROM/4MB RAM and a built-in V.32 terbo modem. A rechargeable Lithium battery allows eight hours of continuous use. Targeting healthcare, General Magic’s Magic Cap 3.1 operating system runs Nightingale Tracker, a patient data collection application from FITNE, Athens, Ohio. DataRover costs between $1,000 and $1,200.
NEW IN CLINICAL TRIALS
IBM released version 2.0 of the ClinWare clinical trials and data capture system that boasts new data entry and batch validation functions. Optional features include the data dictionary for generating data maps and control files and the trial builder and reporter function that allows users to pull data directly from the Internet with a standard browser.
PUTTING THE WEB TO WORK
Epic.link is a new Web interface for the EpicCare electronic medical record system from Epic Systems Corp., Madison, Wis. Epic.link provides remote access to benefits information and patient medical records over the Internet. User authentications, encryption features and audit trails provide security to all records. Epic.link is available free to EpicCare users.
INTERFACING AT THE POINT OF CARE
VitalCom, Tustin, Calif., added new components to its Networked Monitoring system which collects patient data through wireless connections to ECG transmitters and other bedside devices. SiteLink is a telemedicine component that allows physicians to monitor vital signs at remote facilities. OpenNet is a wireless monitoring interface tool connecting various manufacturers’ patient monitoring equipment.
NO EXCUSE FOR TARDINESS
Hospitals and group practices can manage patient visits with Physician Scheduler version 3.2 from MSI Software, Fairfax, Va. Operating on Windows 95, NT and the soon to be released Windows 98, Physician Scheduler allows physicians to customize schedules according to rules-based parameters.
ORDERING MEDICATIONS ELECTRONICALLY
Manage the medication ordering process in nursing homes and long term care facilities with ProxyCare from ProxyMed, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. ProxyCare orders medications electronically, based on formulary guidelines and organizational requirements.
A CARDIOLOGIST’S FRIEND
CVNet is a new cardiology information system from Cerner Corp., Kansas City, Mo., for integrating cardiovascular data in a patient record. CVNet tracks patient registration, resource management, scheduling and outcomes data and automatically sends charges to the billing system.
TIMESAVER
LifeMAX, San Diego, released Hx, a software application that formulates traditional medical records into an automated clinical record. Data are scanned by the clinician and automatically stored in an ODBC-compliant database.
GATHERING EMERGENCY DATA
Document patient information from triage to disposition in the emergency department with ED Chart from Spacelabs Medical, Redmond, Wash. ED Chart provides statistical monitoring of patient care activities with workflow, resource management and referral pattern features. Reports allow users to analyze patient profiles.
BEDSIDE BUDDY
Gather data at the point of care with CarePal from CogniMed, LLC, Lexington, Mass. This Windows CE application prompts users through a discipline-based documentation process that integrates billing and clinical data. Data is automatically encrypted upon collection and decrypted only with the correct password.
