Carestream Health launches turnkey digital radiology solution to streamline workflow at outpatient imaging centers

Tiered configurations support high-end features in an affordable package

Published: 07/08

ORLANDO, FL, USA - (HealthTech Wire) - Carestream Health, Inc., today introduced the KODAK CARESTREAM Outpatient Solution, a new turnkey digital imaging and information management package designed for imaging centers that provides precision workflow automation, exceptional operational efficiency and enhanced business optimization.

This advanced solution-which is currently available for order-delivers efficient, affordable digital workflow for imaging centers and eliminates the need to purchase and integrate systems from multiple vendors. In addition, this solution offers exceptional management reporting with easy-to-read snapshots of staff productivity, referring physician volumes and equipment utilization.

The CARESTREAM Outpatient Solution sets a new industry standard with an "all in one" solution that incorporates a fully-featured RIS, a high performance PACS, onsite or remote archiving, and intelligent enterprise information management coupled with business optimization and professional services. The CARESTREAM Outpatient Solution comes in three affordable configurations and the platform can be effectively scaled to meet the needs of smaller independent imaging centers, mid-size multi-facility sites or large-scale imaging center chains.

Carestream Health, an independent company, has licensed the Kodak brand for use on several leading-edge products such as its PACS and RIS. The company also sells products under its own sub-brands including CARESTREAM, DIRECTVIEW and DRYVIEW to name a few.

Designed for the diverse operational needs of outpatient centers, this solution provides exam scheduling and capture, diagnosis with advanced diagnostic tools, digital dictation, transcription, Web-based viewing of radiology reports and key images, billing, claims processing and results distribution. Radiology reports can be automatically transmitted to individual referring physicians according to their preference for fax, email or Web-based access.

Standard features include: document scanning; mammography scheduling and reporting with MQSA audit support; pre-fetching of prior digital imaging studies; automatic production of reports, and the ability to include key images with the radiology report. Optional features include an integrated billing and insurance claims module, Web-based order entry and scheduling for referring physicians, voice recognition, 3-D viewing, vessel tracking, orthopaedic templating and a medical necessity module that verifies ICD 9 and CPT codes.

Within the solution, KODAK CARESTREAM RIS for Imaging Centers works seamlessly with KODAK CARESTREAM PACS, providing a virtual radiologist desktop for the complete interpretation of a patient's medical condition. High-performance KODAK CARESTREAM Diagnostic Workstations deliver accurate patient information and a worklist to radiologists' desktops to streamline the reading of imaging exams. Role-based licensing allows for user profiles and configurations to follow the radiologist, so interpretations can be made on any workstation in the healthcare enterprise to create a virtual reading environment.

Two of the premium offerings in the platform incorporate the advanced KODAK CARESTREAM Enterprise Information Management solution. This versatile storage and information management platform efficiently archives radiology images and also consolidates enterprise fixed content information such as scanned patient documents, reports, audio clips, e-mail and video files into a central data repository. This eliminates the cost and maintenance of multiple enterprise archives. All configurations offer KODAK CARESTREAM Hosted Information Management, which is standard on the entry tier and optional for the other tiers. This remote archival service is offered in an ASP model and delivers the management of non-DICOM and DICOM information to meet long-term storage and disaster recovery needs.

In addition, CARESTREAM Business Diagnostics' on-site workflow optimization services are included at each level to help imaging centers achieve greater efficiency and a rapid payback on their digital investment. Also bundled in the turnkey offering are CARESTREAM Professional Services for proficient project management, implementation, training and remote 24x7 system monitoring.