Health Alliance Installing Nation's Largest Cardiovascular Information System

Contact: Erika Turan (513) 585-7200
Date: 05/03/2001

Cincinnati -- The Health Alliance is in the midst of installing the nation's largest cardiovascular information system. The state-of-the-art system, VERICIS Cardiology Integrated Cardiovascular Repository, was developed by Camtronics Medical Systems. It is the first cardiovascular information system in the United States that has the ability to display test results from both cardiac cath labs and echo labs simultaneously. By summer, the Health Alliance plans to add vascular image capabilities to the system. A physician and technician will be available for a demonstration of the system on Thursday, May 3 at noon at The Jewish Hospital.

The new image management system was installed first at The Fort Hamilton Hospital in December, 2000, quickly followed by The Jewish Hospital and The Christ Hospital. By spring 2001, installations will be completed at The University Hospital and The St. Luke Hospitals.

Prior to the installation of the VERICIS system, test results in cardiac cath labs and echo labs were recorded onto videotape or films. Hospitals and physicians faced obstacles with the old methods including how to archive and store voluminous records, how to find needed results quickly, and how to share those results with doctors in other locations.

The multi-million dollar VERICIS system at the Health Alliance represents improvement in all of those areas. The advantages this system will have to both physicians and patients include:

• Images are much clearer and more precise.
• Side-by-side images of multiple tests can be displayed for comparison.
• Physicians can create reports rapidly, based on patient data that has been automatically transferred from imaging, hemodynamic and other information systems.
• Custom and multiple report templates allow for easy creation of full clinical reports, summary reports, referral letters and more.
• Final reports are HTML documents, ready for distribution via email.
• Rapid automatic retrieval of previous images and reports prior to patient arrival.
• Storage of clinical findings in an ODBC-compliant database for clinical outcomes analysis or disease management.
• Saving time and reducing errors by eliminating redundant data entry.
• Streamlines reporting by allowing clinicians to review and report on a case from a single display, bringing together information from other instruments, image systems and information systems.
• Eliminating the dictation/transcription/editing/review cycle and its associated delays.