Business Advantages of RIS/PACS Featured at RBMA Radiology Summit.

SAN DIEGO -- A state-of-the-art RIS/PACS not only equips radiology practices to compete more effectively in the current market but also prepares them for the radiology future, according to Murray Reicher, M.D., chairman and co-founder of DR Systems, Inc., one of the most experienced providers in the RIS/PACS industry. Dr. Reicher gave an invited presentation at the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) 2005 Radiology Summit.

The immediate benefits of an advanced RIS/PACS include more efficient use of radiologists' and technologists' time, large cost reductions, far more efficient workflow, and dramatically improved customer service, Dr. Reicher said. The system prepares for the future by eliminating costs and core competencies that are becoming obsolete, and building core expertise in the forward-looking aspects of the radiology business.

"It's not hard to see where radiology is headed," said Dr. Reicher. "Medical imaging is growing. The fragmentation of information technology such as RIS, PACS, and supporting dictation systems is coming to an end, and consolidated systems are taking over. In addition, referring physicians and their staffs are depending more and more on Web-enabled PCs to access images, reports, and audio. You can equip your practice for all of these developments right now with the right RIS/PACs."

The DR Systems RIS/PACS served as a model for the points Dr. Reicher emphasized in his presentation. The company's RIS/PACS optimizes efficiency, financial savings, and customer satisfaction for radiology practices and hospitals while also anticipating radiology's future direction.

For example, the DR Systems design enables referring physicians to access patients immediately after the procedure takes place, from their office or home computers. The Smart Client technology incorporated in the design means that referring doctors can work with Web-sourced data using the full functionality of their computer, even when off-line.

The RIS/PACS also produces structured, itemized reports based on dozens of available templates. This feature provides radiologists and referring physicians with a concise "executive summary" of the data without having to wade through long, unstructured prose reports.

In addition, surveys have shown that referring physicians desire easy access to imaging specialists. The DR Systems RIS/PACs provides this with its structured reports and through its voice clip feature. With the click of a button, this capability enables referrers to hear the radiologist's initial conclusions in his/her own voice. The system also gives referring doctors the ability to schedule patients and input other information via the Web.

"When you keep your referring doctors happy, and make it easy for them to schedule exams, your business will almost inevitably grow as a result," said Dr. Reicher. "But the greater importance of a RIS/PACS that interacts with Web-connected PCs is that soon, this is the only way you'll be able to capture and retain referring physicians, who are your most important customers."

Alicia Vasquez, practice administrator for Arcadia Radiology Medical Group (ARMG), a nine-physician practice in Arcadia, Calif., shared a case study of their practice's success with PACS at the same RBMA 2005 Radiology Summit. ARMG has used a DR Systems RIS/PACS since 2001.

"One of our key goals was to create the most efficient use of our radiologists' time, because our doctors are our business's highest personnel cost by far," said Vasquez "Our system's ease of use, fast turnaround time for results, and elimination of steps related to film use has really helped us with that.

"The system has also helped pay for itself by cutting material costs and making our staff more efficient. Our annual film costs have dropped from a high of $140,000 to well under $20,000 now. We've also watched our staff costs per exam drop by nearly half."

Dr. Reicher cited several successful implementations of the DR Systems RIS/PACS, and he emphasized the need for widespread adoption of RIS/PACS.

"The world is rapidly changing. All of us, referring doctors included, have gotten used to Web-based, interactive access to a wide variety of information, including images and sound," he said. "We've also gotten used to the ability to easily manipulate data with our PCs. A radiology practice's ability to compete will very soon depend on its ability to offer all these attributes to its customers through its RIS/PACS."

The Radiology Business Management Association Summit was held June 5-8 in Las Vegas.

About DR Systems

DR Systems, Inc. is the leading independent provider of film-free medical systems and paperless information systems for diagnostic imaging centers and hospitals. For 12 years, the company has helped more than 250 hospitals and imaging centers improve the management of patient information, eliminate film costs, and increase workflow speed, all while providing better clinical quality and patient care. The company's systems integrate numerous tools to improve financial performance and productivity, including: client-server and Web-based image, report and audio clip distribution; patented, automated hanging protocols for radiologists; and the report format preferences of individual referring physicians. For more information, call 800-794-5955 or visit www.dominator.com.