DR Systems PACS Highlighted at National Conferences.

SAN DIEGO -- Using a state-of-the-art PACS to gain competitive advantage and improve patient care was the focus of two presentations at national conferences. In both cases, the PACS is from DR Systems.

One of the presentations, by Donielle Sullivan of Imaging Healthcare Specialists (IHS) in San Diego, outlining how to use an advanced PACS to increase market share, was presented at the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) marketing conference, March 23-24 in Denver.

The second, a poster presentation addresses the interests of healthcare executives. It was authored by Russell Cain, M.S., CRA, of Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC), in Clyde, N.C., for the annual meeting of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), March 19-22 in New Orleans.

The presentation from Sullivan describes how the selection of the right PACS can be a crucial factor in an imaging center's battle to win market share. She reports that the DR Systems PACS has helped the organization build loyalty from its customers. The presentation from Sullivan, Chief Financial Officer of Imaging Healthcare Specialists, is titled "Radiology Group Marketing - What's PACS Got to Do with It?"

Key market differentiators made possible by the PACS include IHS's use of the PACS' voice recognition feature and user-defined template reports. These features enable IHS to guarantee to customers that it can turn around radiology reports in two hours or less, with actual turnaround time (TAT) being 30 minutes or less.

The automatic report production and rapid TAT create multiple competitive advantages for IHS, including:

* Faster report access for referring doctors. Referring physicians like working with IHS because they can securely access reports as soon as the reports are generated. The reports can be accessed from any Web-based computer.

* Lower costs for payers. The rapid TAT speeds treatment in worker compensation cases, reducing payouts from insurers for workers' time away from the job. This strengthens the bond between IHS and its insurance company customers.

* Lower transcription costs. Using voice recognition technology to generate radiologists' reports enables IHS to compete more effectively on the basis of price.

Sullivan's presentation outlines plans to upgrade the PACS at IHS with a DR Systems' RIS/PACS this year. Integrating the radiology information system and the PACS helps prevent breakdowns in communication and workflow. RIS/PACS integration also leads to more accurate scheduling, exams, and billing, all of which are marketable benefits.

Cain's poster describes how the DR Systems PACS, combined with a faster computer network, has improved patient care, reduced imaging and transcription costs; improved service to referring physicians; and made reading radiologists more efficient. The poster also details the various ways that HRMC upgraded its network so it could maximize the value it received from the PACS' advanced features.

Cain's poster also outlines the human side of Haywood's PACS project. HRMC showed referring physicians that the PACS' Web-based design would benefit them in at least three ways:

* Giving them immediate access to current and prior imaging studies from any Web-connected computer

* Making them more efficient overall because of the ease and ubiquity of access

* Preventing lost or misplaced hard-copy film.

HRMC also showed radiologists the benefits of using the PACS' voice recognition feature to generate radiology reports. The more rapid TAT speeds diagnosis and treatment for patients while nearly eliminating HRMC's transcription costs.

Conservative estimates of the cost savings from the PACS at HRMC include eliminating $75,000/year in film costs, plus more savings in chemicals, film processing, and labor. Overall net savings from the PACS total about $375,000/year.

Both HRMC and IHS relied in large part on ratings by KLAS and MD Buyline in their PACS selection process. KLAS named DR Systems the top healthcare IT company and "Best in KLAS" PACS vendor for 2006. MD Buyline rated the company as the #1 PACS vendor for six consecutive quarters.

About DR Systems, Inc.

DR Systems, Inc. is the leading independent provider of scalable medical imaging and information systems for diagnostic imaging centers and hospitals. For more than 14 years, the company has helped over 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 RIS and PACS systems integrate numerous tools to improve financial performance and productivity, including: Web-based scheduling, 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.