Idaho Health Data Exchange Launches Image Exchange With St. Luke’s Health System

June 20, 2013 — The Idaho Health Data Exchange (IHDE) and St. Luke’s Health System (SLHS) have launched Image Exchange remote viewing by eHealthTechnologies.

Image Exchange allows IHDE-authorized physicians, hospitals and clinicians to instantly access, view and collaborate on their patients’ SLHS diagnostic-quality images from the IHDE through a secure, universal web application. Powered by eHealth Technologies, images including X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans, positron emission tomography (PET) scans and ultrasounds that traditionally take hours or days to procure, are now available within seconds from the IHDE via Image Exchange. All images are available where and when they are needed, saving healthcare dollars from being wasted on unnecessary duplicated procedures and time spent waiting to receive CD’s or large file transfers.

Idaho physicians using the IHDE Image Exchange feature can get easier and quicker access to images versus the traditional way of logging onto multiple sites, or calling and faxing in requests to hospitals’ imaging and medical records departments and independent imaging centers - and then waiting for CD’s to be burned and sent via mail, courier or with the patient.  As soon as an image has been signed off by a radiologist, it is available and accessible via the IHDE Image Exchange within seconds.

The benefits of accessing images from the IHDE include:

• Minimizing delays in patient treatment
• Reducing the need for costly duplicate exams
• Limiting unnecessary radiation exposure for patients
• Decreasing risk of medical errors due to incomplete records
• Patients no longer need to obtain and carry CDs of their images
• Physicians can compare current and past diagnostic tests
• The systems is all web-based and hyperlink driven — there is nothing for physicians or hospitals to download and no additional usernames and passwords to remember.

IHDE enables authorized and participating health care providers to securely exchange critical patient information electronically from hospitals, providers, labs and radiology centers to other health care providers in real-time. IHDE has successfully connected several hospitals, labs and providers, and more than 1,200 participating users to the statewide exchange, and is actively working to connect additional hospitals, physician practices and all other health care stakeholders across Idaho.

For more information: www.idahohde.org, www.eHealthTechnologies.com