September 19, 2014 — National Decision Support Company (NDSC) has integrated the American College of Radiology's ACR Select decision support content with Epic's electronic health record (EHR) software. ACR Select can also be added as part of the Epic Foundation System, allowing customers to take an integrated approach to acquiring and implementing ACR Select within their overall EHR strategy.
"This agreement allows the market to include ACR Select as an integral part of a comprehensive EHR strategy," said Michael Mardini, CEO of NDSC. "We have focused on integrating ACR Select at clinically appropriate points within in the workflow in order to eliminate physician disruptions and add value during the exam ordering process. Additionally, all utilization data is available through Epic's Clarity and Reporting Workbench standard reports."
This integration further demonstrates the benefits of making ACR content accessible to a large market base through NDSC. "ACR Select has the most impact when it's directly integrated at the point of ordering within the EHR workflow. It is an integral part of realizing our Imaging 3.0 initiative," said William Thorwarth, CEO of ACR.
NDSC has seen a significant increase in market interest since passage of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, which requires ordering physicians to consult appropriate use criteria when ordering certain diagnostic tests. Having EHR and order entry system integrations with solutions that are so widely accepted in the market is a game changer.
"Healthcare facilities understand that unnecessary imaging must become a thing of the past. Having the appropriate tools in place to ensure that ordering the right diagnostic test at the right time is pivotal to decreasing costs and improving quality across the care continuum. Lawmakers have also weighed in on the benefits of appropriate use criteria," said Mardini. "It's incredibly fulfilling to be able to provide clients with the tools and acquisition options to help them manage this transformation and prepare for the new legislation."
For more information: www.nationaldecisionsupport.com, www.acrselect.org