In a recent article by Otha Linton, AuntMinnie.com contributing writer, it was noted that initially handheld fluoroscopes were tested for readiness by placing a hand in the radiation beam until the doctor could see his finger bones. Today, many precautions are instilled to ensure patients and staff are not overexposed to radiation, but regulations were not imposed until 33 years after the initial discovery of the x-ray.

We look forward to the continued advancements of the radiology science.

See you at ARRS- Booth #308

The American Roentgen Ray Society is the first and oldest radiology society in the United States,  founded not long after the discovery of the x-ray by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen.  The continuing goal of the society is to promote the use of radiology for the improvement of healthcare.  As noted in the official website, “The mission of the Society is to advance medicine through the science of radiology and its allied sciences by enabling the creation and exchange of knowledge and information in the field through its journal, meetings and other means.”

In healthcare IT, the term Meaningful Use (MU)  refers to a set of government guidelines  for use of electronic health records (EHR) and the related technology in a way that quality for government reimbursement.  .  In the case at RMI, they have already obtained $216,000 for their efforts.  Beginning in 2015, hospitals that have not yet achieved meaningful use may be penalized.  To receive the maximum reimbursement, physicians and hospitals must achieve stage 1 of meaningful use of EHR for at least a 90-day period within the 2011 or 2012 federal fiscal year and for the entire year thereafter.

Hicks highlights how RMI gained value and competitive strength against larger healthcare facilities with their early adoption and the benefits that have accompanied this process.   He describes how the main goal is to improve patient care now and in the future.

Click here to listen to this meaningful use podcast.

As a recognized leader in the field of radiology, we are committed to providing workflow and communication solutions.  The peerVue QICS unites practitioners, departments and enterprises, enabling more integrated patient care and more strategic healthcare business. We remain committed and excited to continue to serve our customers, resellers, and industry partners.

On the sales front, we are thrilled to have added several new customers thanks to our direct sales team and our resellers GE, Agfa, & Carestream.

• South Georgia Medical Center (sold via GE)
• Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire and Sudbury Hospital in Ontario (sold via Agfa)
• Great Ormond Street Hospital located in the UK (sold via GE)
• National Naval Medical Center located in San Diego, CA. (sold via Carestream)

We are thrilled to continue the peerVue adventure and we look forward to continuing to deliver innovative solutions as the leader in workflow and communications in healthcare. We hope to hear from you and invite you to meet with us at an upcoming event.

Currently, we are testing on-site and training the clinic staff, including nurse mid-wives and support staff, who will be using the system daily.  Testing is critical in the process of final implementation.

It has been an exciting journey for peerVue working with Dr. DeStigter at the clinical level and continuing our relationship into this international project to save lives in Uganda.

Look for us at booth #8 at the show!

It truly was an amazing introduction of peerVue to the rest of the world and it was refreshing to see that the challenges within radiology that QICS addresses here in the US are evident all over the world. Workflow challenges such as Resident Over Read Management, ED Discrepancy Workflow, Radiographer QA, Peer Review, Teaching Files and Critical Results Notification and Tracking are challenges that all radiology departments face worldwide, and QICS is the best in class solution to these issues.

On top of meeting with over 150 participants that were seeing peerVue’s QICS for the first time, peerVue also was able to spend some time with their existing install base customers in the UK and Middle East.  Lastly, peerVue’s team used the time at the show to continue to grow their relationships and partnerships with their resellers and working on global initiatives to support their partners internationally so that they can continually bring tremendous value to their install base and to provide a best in class solution in tender responses.  Skahan closed with saying, “it’s truly an exciting time here at peerVue to be able to have the resources and interest to take the QICS platform internationally and to bring quality and regulatory compliance into the next level world -wide and to constantly be an advocate and provider of a solution that ensures timely and effective patient care.”

For more information, read the press release here:

World-class medical imaging workflow solutions to facilitate care coordination for better care, better business  ATLANTA and SARASOTA, FL, Feb. 8, 2012 – Today McKesson announced that it has acquiredpeerVue Inc., an innovative provider of solutions that simplify diagnostic medical imaging workflow, expedite communications for improved quality and efficiency, and support customer efforts to improve patient safety. The acquisition extends McKesson’s portfolio of enterprise imaging and information management systems with highly flexible workflow capabilities that address site-specific needs such as critical results management, peer review and emergency department communication for multiple disciplines. “peerVue brings world-class capabilities that facilitate care coordination, which is essential for better care and better business as part of our Better Health 2020 strategy,” said Kevan Torgerson, president, Enterprise Medical Imaging group, McKesson. “By addressing critical imaging workflow needs, particularly for radiologists, our combined capabilities empower care teams to more effectively engage with one another and to make better informed decisions throughout the diagnostic workflow.” Supporting those decisions is peerVue’s QICS, or Qualitative Intelligence and Communication System. A web-based technology platform, QICS provides the functionality to engage, analyze data, alert users and facilitate workflow at every point throughout the exam life cycle. “Improving workflow is not only the key to higher-quality, safer patient care,” noted Torgerson. “It’s also the key to improving efficiency and productivity for a better financial result.” Based in Sarasota, Fla., peerVue has a solid track record of delivering solutions to some of the country’s leading healthcare organizations with thousands of users depending on its technology to facilitate timely, high-quality care. “We look forward to becoming part of McKesson, which is widely known for its reach and leadership in imaging and information management,” said Kyle Lawton, peerVue’s chief executive officer. “We can bring together new care coordination capabilities to close the gaps in workflow for clinicians and enable better health in this generation and beyond.” Together, McKesson and peerVue will connect the entire care team and speed the diagnostic process across the continuum of care — helping healthcare organizations achieve better care, better business and better connectivity. About McKesson McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com. About peerVue Since its inception in 2002, peerVue has been redefining the healthcare IT market with intelligent workflow and communication solutions that enable healthcare organizations to improve patient care, while also reducing risk and simplifying processes. With a passion for technology and innovation, peerVue was established to solve critical workflow and communication gaps in healthcare that jeopardize patient safety and render imaging organizations inefficient. peerVue delivers solutions worldwide with dozens of integrations to leading healthcare imaging and IT across multiple specialties, including radiology, mammography, cardiology and pathology. PR Contact   McKesson Specialty Health Yancey Casey 404.338.2468 yancey.casey@mckesson.com

Failing to communicate successfully downstream opens the door to slow adoption and frustrated end users.  The more they know, the more they feel a part of the process and are more likely to embrace change.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a new policy, new IT system, or update to existing processes – keeping your audience informed is one of the easiest ways to alleviate fear of the unknown and get ahead of the naysayers’ negativity.

In a healthcare environment, employees are expected to adapt to and embrace IT system changes constantly. According to Stephen Steward, CIO at Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant ,IA, “There is no substitute for communication, and there is no such thing as too much communication. Even when you do not have all the answers to every possible question, managing change proactively means communicating about the pending change, soliciting input, processing the input and crafting solutions to minimize the impact.”  Maintaining open communication and answering questions that arise will be necessary to adopt a new system quickly and efficiently into your department. For full text of the article, Click Here.

peerVue offers a variety of tools as a part of QICS that enable easier interdepartmental  communication so we recognize the importance of successful communication.   With the purchase of our system, each customer is assigned an implementation manager that is available anytime to ensure successful adoption and a smooth go-live!

o Beginning 2013, the written physics examination is being replaced by incorporating physics into a 2-day computerized core (qualifying) examination, which will be held in October.

o Physics will no longer be tested separately.  It will now be integrated into all 18 categories (graded separately and must be passed).

o Many physics questions will be image-based, with an emphasis on working backward from images to medical physics principles as recommended by the AAPM in 2006.

With these changes, which are geared to evaluate knowledge that has been accumulated over the entire course of residency, it is suggested that residency programs assimilate more diagnostic images and clinical scenarios into the curriculum.  (For full text of the article click here.)

We understand that training resident radiologists in this period of extraordinary change can be a daunting task. And we know you often don’t have systems in place to do it the way you’d like to so in response to this, peerVue has created a software infrastructure that integrates seamlessly into traditional healthcare IT applications – including your RIS, PACS and EMR –to facilitate the everyday workflow of residents.

For Resident Program Directors, QICS is flexible and customizable to create specific workflows for resident training, including:

o Resident Preliminary and Over-Read Workflow
o Resident Accuracy and Report Quality Scoring
o Exam Protocol Mapping, Teaching Files and Data Mining
o Resident Work Reporting by Rotation
o Discrepancy Management
o Consultation Messaging

QICS is the only complete, PACS integrated workflow solution that will address all needs of Resident Coordinators and Directors and will have the capacity to adapt effortlessly with the ever-evolving industry requirements.