DR Systems to Debut eMix Images, Report Share Solution

October 28, 2009 - DR Systems will unveil eMix, its cloud-based technology for sharing imaging studies and reports, at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Nov. 29 – Dec. 4 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The DR Systems booth is #6229, in the South Building, Hall A.

eMix, which stands for Electronic Medical Information Exchange, enables secure sharing of images and reports between disparate institutions and physicians via the Internet. It also can help facilitate associating patient images to electronic medical records (EMRs) and patients’ personal healthcare records (PHRs).

This interoperable, vendor-neutral technology eliminates the need for the provider facility to burn CDs, print films, or fax reports. It should also help facilitate the trend toward universal access to medical imaging, for a complete EMR.

 

“eMix is a medical IT breakthrough that solves several problems faced by imaging centers and hospitals,” said DR Systems chairman of the board and radiologist Murray Reicher, M.D. “With eMix, institutions can avoid the cost and hassle of making CDs for patients and importing CDs from other facilities that don’t have the same PACS. They can digitally supply both images and reports to patients and doctors with a few simple mouse clicks, and even use the system to create anew, cost-free revenue stream.”

 

eMix has numerous security features. It puts the patient at the center of the authorization process, and creates an audit trail. Security is further enhanced by the fact that no patient data resides on the eMix Web servers. Together, these features enable institutions to comply with requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

According to DR Systems, with eMix, institutions can avoid labor, material, and service costs by eliminating the following expenses: handling imaging data requests, burning CDs, printing film, faxing reports, mailing imaging information, and managing chain-of-custody.

Those same institutions can use eMix to generate revenue - for example, by charging $5 per eMix access. Because all data is electronic and transferred automatically, there is zero supply cost.

Using eMix involves the following: The sender 1) selects an exam from the worklist, 2) uploads the exam components to the eMix Web server, and 3) selects one or more recipients. The receiver 1) receives a notification email from eMix, 2) logs in or signs in as a new user, and 3) downloads the exam. The exam can then be sent to a PACS (picture archiving and communications system), viewed with the eMix viewer, or burned to a CD.

eMix builds on innovations in cloud computing. The result is a simple, universal exchange of imaging data in real time. The system is easy to deploy, because there is no hardware or software to purchase.