Merge Healthcare, a health IT solutions provider, has revealed that the Radiology Associates of Sacramento (RAS) has expanded the Merge solution suite to include Merge iConnect.
The Merge iConnect is essentially an integrated software suite that delivers interoperable image exchange and management, as well as facilitates the sharing of diagnostic content and results across the continuum of healthcare. Merge provides IT solutions for imaging workflow, scheduling to billing and disaster recovery for healthcare and biopharmaceutical customers worldwide. It offers complete image and information management solutions in radiology, cardiology, orthopaedics, as well as CAD applications.
In a release, Craig Roy, chief information officer of Radiology Associates of Sacramento (RAS), said, “In today’s healthcare enterprise, broad interoperability is a requirement. Radiology has been digital forever, but many practices were built as silos of information. We see real value in the Merge iConnect strategy of providing a complete solution for bringing our diagnostic content into any healthcare record.
“We started with the Merge PACS solution for digital imaging within radiology, and added their vendor neutral archive (VNA) to help with image management across the enterprise. However, RAS was using a different vendor for our image distribution. The result was that we had to use a separate cache of images. We just moved to iConnect Access, and so far we are very pleased with the results.”
Merge iConnect, an interoperability suite, enables providers to view current and historical images and content, regardless of the multiple applications in which the images are stored. The diagnostic information is essential for patient care by detecting and monitoring the progression of disease, thereby enabling faster treatment and reducing duplicate exams.
iConnect is available in a series of five vendor-agnostic packages, which includes:
- Merge iConnect Share: Enables sharing of images between referring centers and a referral hospital without the need for dedicated VPN or preconfigured DICOM connections;
- Merge iConnect VNA;
- Merge iConnect Access: A zero-footprint, zero-download DICOM and XDS viewer that provides diagnostic quality image review for referring physicians;
- Merge iConnect Kiosk;
- Merge iConnect Exchange: A comprehensive interoperability platform.
The CEO of Merge Healthcare, Jeff Surges, added, “Diagnostic imaging is widely regarded as one of the most important advances in medicine, yet the images are often not available on demand at the point of care. Merge saw a real need in the market to provide end-to-end imaging interoperability for forward-thinking providers such as RAS. While there are a number of niche players in the market, no one else has the experience, expertise and client footprint to deliver a complete solution that meets all requirements of image exchange and management.”
Carolyn John is a Contributor to HealthTechZone. To read more of her articles, please columnist page.Edited by
Tammy Wolf
