Six Major Radiology Centers Provide Diagnostic Images to Rochester RHIO
Rochester, N.Y September 10, 2009 – Physicians are now able to see radiology images—including X-rays, MRI, CT scans and Ultrasound—from six radiology centers in the Greater Rochester area through Rochester RHIO, the community’s regional health information organization.
Borg & Ide Imaging, Clifton Springs Hospital, Rochester General Health System, Rochester Diagnostic Imaging, Rochester Radiology Associates, and Thompson Health join Lakeside Memorial Hospital in providing radiology images to the RHIO.
Rochester RHIO allows authorized users to see patient information, including radiology images, at any time from any computer with a secure internet connection. Electronically viewing diagnostic images benefits doctors and patients:
- Fewer repeated tests
- Easy comparison of current and past diagnostic tests between organizations with a common viewing environment
- Less hand-carrying and tracking down hard-copy x-rays and images on CDs
- Faster second opinions
- Lower overall health care costs due to fewer duplicate radiology orders
- Creates a more complete picture of a patient’s health
Dr. Daniel Jacobson, President of Rochester Radiology and Rochester Diagnostic Imaging, noted that being able to share images across institutions has improved patient care. “The Image Exchange offers a tremendous advantage over traditional methods to obtain comparison images. In seconds, we can view other studies our patients have had, use that information, and interpret today's study proficiently and efficiently.”
Executive Director Ted Kremer added that making radiology images more accessible benefits all members of a patient’s medical team. “Primary care physicians, specialists and radiologists can view images on-screen from any participating radiology provider for a more complete picture of their patients’ health. The anytime, anywhere access can help in emergency situations, second opinions and routine visits.”
Rochester RHIO partners with eHealth Global Technologies (eHGT), using its eHealthConnect® Image Exchange service to automate access to patient images across participating health care organizations. eHGT’s Image Exchange stores 30 days of exams and is able to pull older exams on-demand. In addition, the eHealthViewerTM is a single technology with full diagnostic quality viewing, image processing and measurement capabilities.
”We are excited about the adoption and growth of the use of this vital service by the Rochester RHIO and its providers and users,” stated Ken Rosenfeld, President and CTO of eHGT. “This level of access to images will help reduce duplicate testing and unnecessary radiation exposure of patients. The Rochester RHIO is a benchmark for other RHIOs and Health Information Exchanges across the country for exchange of images in a useful and functional manner.”
Highland Hospital, University Medical Imaging, and University of Rochester Medical Center are expected to join the list of image providers. Altogether, more than twenty health care organizations in the Greater Rochester area provide patient information to Rochester RHIO, including lab test results, radiology reports and images, insurance eligibility, hospital transcribed reports and medication history.
About Rochester RHIO
Rochester RHIO, the regional health information organization, is a secure electronic health information exchange available to authorized medical providers in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.
The service allows a medical care team to share records across institutions and practices, making patient information available wherever and whenever needed to provide the best care. Patients benefit from fewer repeated tests, easier second opinions, a reduced risk of mistakes caused by poor handwriting or incomplete records, and more informed care during office visits and emergencies.
Physicians and patients can learn more about Rochester RHIO by visiting www.RochesterRHIO.org or by calling 877-865-RHIO.
About eHealth Global Technologies, Inc. (eHGT)
eHGT is a leading medical record retrieval and electronic delivery service provider, currently serving over 20 percent of the nation’s top 100 hospitals. eHGT’s services—eHealthConnect®, eHealthConnect® Image Exchange, eHealthConnect® for Clinical Trials, and eHealthRetriever™—help patients, medical centers, clinical departments, communities, and clinical trials organizations improve productivity, reduce waste, and improve patient care. Each service utilizes innovative information technology to retrieve medical records and images of all formats and securely deliver them to healthcare providers or an individual’s Personal Health Record. eHGT’s world-class clinical customer support team collects and manages patient data regardless of the source and format of the data. Please visit the web site at http://www.eHGT.com for more information.