November 30, 2011 — DR Systems is exhibiting its MU (meaningful use) Imaging EHR, a complete, cloud-based, imaging-centric ambulatory electronic health record, at RSNA 2011.
The system is designed to qualify radiologists for the maximum federal incentive payments available for MU compliance. The MU guidelines support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) goals for improved and efficient patient care.
An estimated 90 percent of radiologists are eligible for incentive payments from the CMS, according to the American College of Radiology (ACR). Radiologists will have to qualify before Oct. 1, 2012 to earn the maximum bonus of $44,000, however. Those who do not comply with meaningful use will be penalized with lower reimbursements from CMS.
“Most radiologists seem to believe that they weren't included in the meaningful use regulations, but the opposite is true,” said Murray Reicher, M.D., DR Systems co-founder and chairman. “The real challenge is meeting the requirements in time to get the largest bonuses – and just as important, to avoid future penalties.”
Reicher is a recognized MU authority and co-author of an article about meaningful use published in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR).
Benefits of the MU Imaging EHR include:
- Vendor-neutral, offering plug-in options or standalone. The MU Imaging EHR can be used as a web-service plug-in to any existing health information system (HIS); radiology information system (RIS); cardiovascular information system (CVIS); or picture archiving and communications system (PACS). This will enable radiologists to more rapidly meet the Oct. 1, 2012 deadline. The EHR can also be used as a standalone system.
- Interoperability for efficient data aggregation. A cloud-based design enables radiologists who work at multiple locations to easily aggregate their data, a requirement for reporting to CMS.
- Single radiology-centric solution. The system is customized for a medical imaging professional’s workflow and does not require aggregating data from other certified modules.
- Complete and low cost. Because the product is cloud-based and requires no dedicated hardware, it can be efficiently deployed by both individuals and large group practices.
To qualify for bonuses and avoid penalties, a radiology practice must implement a complete ambulatory EHR or its equivalent; this would entail a collection of modules that in total meet the technical requirements of a complete system.
Thus, radiologists could attempt to meet the MU requirements by upgrading their existing installed systems. But this approach is time-consuming and requires substantial investments in both hardware and software. Interoperability will be a challenge if data aggregation from multiple locations is needed.
Certification of the MU Imaging EHR is anticipated for fourth quarter 2011 and general availability in first quarter 2012.
DR Systems will exhibit the MU Imaging EHR in booth #2822 at RSNA 2011.
For more information: www.drsys.com
March 14, 2024 
