Dear RIS Insider,
The radiology information system has rapidly become an integral part of the total healthcare information technology schema. According to radiology informatics expert Rex Osborn of First Consulting Group, a RIS can no longer be an island of information; because so many clinicians utilize imaging information, it has to integrate with the entire panoply of healthcare IT systems.
The systems requiring RIS data can range from clinical data repositories (CDR) with lab-dictated history and physical exam findings; to financial systems for billing, accounting, and accounts receivable; to point-of-care networks such as a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system that includes charting of clinical observations and care plans; to clinical information systems (CIS) that contain order communications and nursing assessments.
RIS vendors have responded to the demands of the healthcare IT enterprise with a variety of new features and functionalities that address the needs of both referring physicians and radiology departments. Some of these features include Web functionality for remote access, virtual master jacket film folders, utilization review management reporting, dedicated mammography modules, and real-time interactive patient-tracking capabilities.
If you'd like to see what's available in the new generation of RIS products, check out the RIS Insider Exclusive. As a RIS Insider subscriber, you have access to this story before it's published for the rest of our AuntMinnie.com members.
Finally, if you have a comment or story to share about RIS or healthcare IT, please get in touch with me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.
