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IMPAX RIS and other solutions can help radiologists achieve Meaningful Use

- 90% of radiologists are eligible for Meaningful Use
- Agfa HealthCare is aligned and collaborating with industry experts and customers on this concept
- Agfa HealthCare plans to submit an application for certification of its RIS as an EHR module that meets Meaningful Use criteria in 2011

( RSNA-2010 Booth #8336) Agfa HealthCare , a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announced at RSNA-2010 its intention to help radiologists achieve Meaningful Use (MU) in their daily practice using its portfolio of IMPAX solutions IMPAX is a sixth-generation integrated RIS / PACS workflow solution for data management and reporting, offering proven, extensive integration with Electronic Health Records ( EHR s) and other medical record solutions.

Healthcare Reform

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health ( HITECH ) Act require healthcare providers to show they are "meaningful users" of Electronic Health Record ( EHR ) systems. Radiologists are considered Eligible Professionals (EP) and are eligible to qualify for the EHR incentive plan. Starting in 2015, Medicare payment reductions will begin for non-compliance with Meaningful Use. Hospitals and Eligible Professionals will start applying in a few months, and will be supported by applications that perform "meaningful use" functions."

More than 90% of radiologists are eligible for MU at $44,000 per EP for achieving Meaningful Use. A national provider identifier will be required through the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) in order to gain reimbursment. Demonstrating MU through the deployment of certified technology is key to receiving incentives.

Stage 1 MU will focus on the capture of electronic health information and its use in the tracking and communication of clinical conditions. Included in the first phase are ten menu set objectives, 15 core set objectives and 44 clinical quality measures. While each set has specific objectives that may be excluded, EPs are still required to use certified EHR technologies that are capable of measuring all 25 set objectives.

Agfa HealthCare’s Commitment

A large part of Stage 1 MU is centered on capturing clinical data such as can be found in IMPAX RIS. Agfa HealthCare is determining which core and menu set objectives can be met in the IMPAX RIS solution as it exists today. Agfa HealthCare will also review other solutions such as our IMPAX PACS, IMPAX Business Intelligence (Work In Progress) and IMPAX Exchange, a Work in Progress solution designed to eliminate CD or DVD to share images.

"Our review, combined with close consultation from industry leaders and customers, will guide the path for an application for certification of Agfa HealthCare solutions as EHR modules that meet Meaningful Use criteria," said Lenny J. Reznik, Agfa HealthCare's Director of Enterprise Imaging and Information. " Agfa HealthCare is committed to support efficient use of imaging informatics technology to foster knowledge sharing and improve the delivery of healthcare."
IMPAX Business Intelligence, a Work In Progress being shown at RSNA-2010 helps demonstrate MU of clinical data by
• Giving providers timely access to process and workflow data needed to improve the delivery of care
• delivering measures that help demonstrate improved health outcome possibilities
• Delivering measures that demonstrate greater cost-effectiveness
• Setting processes that help managers to proactively improve data quality and data integrity over time

See these solutions at Agfa HealthCare in Booth #8336, North Hall at RSNA-2010. To arrange a personal demonstration of our Imaging Excellence solutions, please contact us This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Source: Agfa Healthcare