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CHICAGO, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- RSNA Booth #4073 (South) -- Compressus, leaders in interoperability of disparate healthcare IT systems, announced the first installation its next generation MEDxConnect(TM) version 2.5, with the completion of an interoperability implementation at Seattle Radiologists, APC, of Seattle. The installation of a single Enterprise-wide worklist solution, integrating digital imaging and data management systems at multiple SeaRad sites featured full integration with GE Centricity PACS. The announcement was made here at 94th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), November 29 - December 4, 2008.

"Interoperability is the buzz word across the industry, but few vendors actually have a real product and the experience to be able to deliver the functionality and breadth needed to achieve real interoperability," said Uresh Patel, MD, Neuroradiologist at Seattle Radiologists. "Compressus offers Enterprise-wide monitoring, voice capability, report distribution options, and both HL7 and DICOM integration. We found that MEDxConnect was the only comprehensive solution that offers all of these benefits without having to involve other third party vendors or supplement with manual intervention.

"The ultimate goal for the MEDxConnect implementation was the creation of one worklist tied into all SeaRad sites with the ability to address multiple PACS viewing environments, including GE Centricity and Stentor. This not only helps us leverage our IT investments, it has improved our service capabilities. In fact, we have been able to close a number of new referral contracts that we would not have been able to secure without the MEDxConnect implementation," added Dr. Patel.

Supporting sites in the Seattle and Puget Sound area with 36 board certified radiologists, the Seattle Radiologists implementation involves the installation of a spectrum of MEDxConnect(TM) System components designed to enable seamless integration of disparate information systems. The centerpiece of the implementation is a single virtual worklist designed to enable physicians to read from anywhere, automatically prefetch prior exams and patient information, and efficiently transmit images and cases between sites for consults or workload balancing. The result is significant workflow improvements resulting in faster and more accurate reports and better patient care.

Fully supporting a Thin Client environment, MEDxConnect version 2.5, offers full integration with GE Centricity PACS. Featuring a collaborative development and testing process, MEDxConnect is fully interoperable with GE Centricity PACS and Centricity IW. Compressus also recently completed new integrations with Philips iSite, Hologic SecurView, Visage Imaging, and PowerScribe speech recognition software, continuing to expand its industry leading portfolio of workstation, VR, RIS and PACS integrations.

The SeaRad implementation of v2.5 also includes full integration with existing PowerScribe speech recognition software as practices are increasingly looking to voice recognition and dictation software to speed up the reporting process. However, like most health IT systems, different VR tools have different formats and templates that can cause conflicts and delays in getting reports to be delivered to the referring physician. The MEDxConnect System's open and scalable architecture enabled the implementation to build on previous internal SeaRad integration projects, such as the use of HL7 interface engines, such as NeoTool, to help make patient demographics and scheduling available across the network. SeaRad had investigated using NeoTool to help create and maintain interfaces between systems on the enterprise and it helped streamline the interface process and made it more cost-effective Compressus was brought in to deploy a long-term, scalable solution.

The MEDxConnect System acts as a communications hub, enabling all PACS, HIS, RIS and other data information systems to connect and communicate across an enterprise. MEDxConnect also enhances and expedites the use of HL7, DICOM and other standard languages to connect flawlessly all of the otherwise independent and disparate systems and successfully transferring images, reports, messages, demographics and other important data for the timely diagnosis and treatment of a waiting patient. The integrated imaging and data management solution from Compressus is designed to support a facility's current and expanded workload and provide an infrastructure for sustained growth. Building the functionality required for remote connectivity, the system enables users to access images and reports in existing data stores at each facility, increasing the level of care while reducing the associated costs.

"Seattle Radiologists has a tremendously talented group of IT specialists, radiologists and administrators that did some incredible work to address the complex interoperability problems that plague every imaging practice," said Janine Broda, chief marketing officer for Compressus. "Through a number of thoughtful and cost-effective steps, they were able to lay a strong foundation that made it much faster and easier to deploy MEDxConnect as a comprehensive, Enterprise-wide solution designed to proactively protect the quality and safety of patient care."

About Compressus Inc.

Established in 2000, Compressus, Inc. is a medical software company offering proven solutions for problems of interoperability and interconnectivity in the rapidly growing healthcare IT market. Its MEDxConnect software is the first solution that indexes, integrates and routes all relevant patient medical information to the healthcare professional in real time, thus dramatically improving physician efficiency, reducing enterprise costs and increasing patient safety. The MEDxConnect products address the problems associated with integrating healthcare enterprises plagued by the lack of connectivity and interoperability between disparate vendors of HIS, RIS and PACS systems. Designed to manage the workflow of an imaging healthcare enterprise, the MEDxConnect System is a suite of offerings that has the power to connect disparate HIS/RIS/PACS systems and provide automated interoperability to the enterprise and allows an organization with disparate multi-vendor system function as one virtual enterprise.