January 2, 2013 — At RSNA 2012 Montage Healthcare Solutions and Radimetrics demonstrated the benefits of correlating dose information with Montage clinical report search results.
The integrated system is a result of a previously announced technology partnership. Clinical quality improvement efforts benefit by correlating X-ray dose with the clinical findings Montage extracts from unstructured clinical report data. A radiologist using Montage to uncover clinical information that aids the diagnostic process benefits from access to exam dose information, as will a clinical quality manager looking to understand the relationship between dose, imaging protocols and clinical findings.
"Correlating dose information with clinical report findings enhances healthcare providers' ability to manage clinical quality by better understanding the relationship between imaging procedure, dose and outcomes," said William Boonn, M.D., president of Montage Healthcare Solutions. "We want to help caregivers reduce unnecessary imaging that costs the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars annually. Availability of the clinical information necessary to make informed decisions is the first step."
Radimetrics' eXposure dose management tools enable imaging protocol optimization with X-ray dose as low as reasonably allowed (ALARA), while helping organizations meet requirements for reporting and tracking dose. "Integration with Montage reporting closes the loop on understanding the relationship between dose and clinical diagnosis," said Radimetrics president Gregory Couch. "We believe our combined abilities creates unique value, particularly for patients with chronic disease that requires repeated imaging."
Montage and Radimetrics are collaborating with the Radiology Outcomes Research Laboratory (RORL) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to understand the correlation between exam dose, imaging protocol, clinical indications and findings. Kate MacGregor, program manager at RORL, said, "Patient safety and imaging appropriateness are global healthcare issues that can only be understood through correlation of several clinical and operational factors. The Montage and Radimetrics combination provides access to information that significantly advances our efforts to understand these issues."
For more information: www.montagehealthcare.com, www.radimetrics.com