Like any relationship, corporate mergers can be prone to difficulties. PACS vendor Avreo knows this firsthand, having recently canceled a planned merger with Imagemedical.com of Palo Alto, CA.
In a deal announced at November's RSNA meeting, the companies said they planned to merge and integrate each other's product lines. Avreo had hoped to enhance its Advanced Radiology Integrated Internet Solution (ARIIS) workflow software with Imagemedical's PracticeBuilder image management product.
With the Imagemedical deal behind it, New Orleans-based Avreo, previously known as Riptide, has decided to focus on strengthening ARIIS, a Web-based workflow product that integrates RIS, PACS, transcription, and scheduling functions on an XML backbone. The application uses a folder-based interface to simulate radiology department report protocols and minimize users’ learning curve with the software.
At last year's RSNA meeting, the company demonstrated its recent integration of San Diego-based A-Life Medical’s radiology diagnosis and procedure software, ImageCoder, into ARIIS. ImageCoder uses natural language processing technology that automatically "reads" the medical record and assigns the proper international classification of disease, 9th revision (ICD-9) and current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. The product currently handles diagnostic radiology, diagnostic ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and simple interventional procedure reports.
The coding logic includes assignment of common procedure modifiers, as well as payor- and provider-specific rules. The coded results are then automatically interfaced into the ARIIS system. From the company's booth on the show floor in Chicago, Avreo representatives were able to process more than 900 reports from a remote location through the software with no errors.
The company recently signed an agreement with Intel Online Services to host ARIIS at Intel’s 10,000-server data center in Chantilly, VA. Under terms of the agreement, ARIIS is now offered as a hosted application by the data center. This permits users to access the complete product suite via a Web browser, with no on-site IT staff management required.
Intel Online Services will manage long-term archival storage of radiological images, reports, and other patient information for ARIIS users. According to Avreo's director of professional services, Tory Knapp, the company will offer disaster recovery services for its customers through bi-coastal data mirroring of its server farm.
The company also uses Intel Internet Authentication Services (IAS) for AMA Internet IDs -- digital certificates issued to physicians by the American Medical Association. Both disaster recovery and digital certificates are expected to be required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) final security rules expected in the next few months.
Avreo has also refined its pricing structure in recent months. The company offers two forms of delivery to its customers: an application service provider (ASP) model and a software license model. Several tiers of pricing and service options are available, depending on such factors as study volume and image management needs, according to senior vice president Jim Maughan.
The ASP-based model has a monthly billing cycle that is measured on a digital study basis or by report filed in the RIS. The software license model is billed as a one-time license fee with options for annual support and image management available to the customer.
Business editor Erik L. Ridley contributed to this story.
By Jonathan S. Batchelor
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
January 3, 2001
Related Reading
Riptide changes name to Avreo, October 26, 2000
Riptide flows to market with integrated RIS/PACS product, October 20, 2000
Riptide to use Intel’s authentication services, July 27, 2000
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