Cardiovascular Business - March/April 2008 - (Page 12) speCial seCtioN | Cardiovascular Information Systems › By LisA FrAT T Streamlining Cardiovascular Image & Information Management Cardiovascular image and data management can be challenging. Procedures are diverse, and many facilities operate multiple decentralized information systems. Plus, some hospitals and cardiology practices continue to rely on outdated and inefficient technology like tape-based storage for cardiac cath procedures. sive and time-consuming. Multiple, disconnected systems translate into a greater burden on IT staff, too. In many hospitals, management and troubleshooting of outdated systems consume scarce IT resources. The status quo, however, is a dying breed. Hospitals and cardiology practices across the country have tapped into a new paradigm that offers significant clinical and operational benefits. Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX Cardiovascular Suite (IMPAX CV) delivers a one-stop shop for carAgfa HealthCare’s iMPAX CV is ideal for multimodality cardiology environments including cath, echo, non-invasive vascular, diology image access and strucnuclear cardiology, and ECG data management to create a single, integrated cardiovascular image and information solution. tured clinical records. IMPAX CV includes a cardiology PACS, which delivers advantages on a number of fronts including simple access to patient images and data and consistent structured reports, which can lead to efficient clinical decision-making. It represents the business model for the future of cardiovascular image and information management, providing a means for sites to enhance patient care, communication and workflow. This month, several hospitals and cardiology practices share the secrets of their success with Cardiovascular Business. Traditional cardiovascular image management and reporting configurations are brimming with both workflow and patient care challenges. Physicians may be forced to log on to multiple systems to access patient images and data, which not only impedes workflow but can also slow diagnosis, decision-making and treatment. Reporting presents similar challenges. A single site may use a variety of paper and transcription-based options, making database creation and registry compliance labor-inten- the diverse deployment University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, represents a diverse and widespread health system. Its facilities run the gamut and 12 Cardiovascular Business March/April 2008
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