Vendors Will Engage in Aggressive Price Competition to Win Public Tenders, According to Findings from Decision Resources Group BURLINGTON, Mass., Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group finds that expansion of the European market for picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), radiology information systems (RIS) and cardiovascular information systems (CVIS) will be hindered by the debt crisis and radiology cuts in the region. The resulting budget constraints have led to deferred purchases of new and replacement PACS, RIS and CVIS for many countries in 2013, as well as the cancellation of a significant number of public tenders for these systems, particularly in the more severely affected markets in Italy and Spain.

On January 29, 2014, Michael Peters, senior director of legislative and regulatory affairs, for the ACR®, presented a webinar—Navigating the MU Pathway: Stages 1 and 2—sponsored by FUJIFILM Medical Systems.

The persistent nudge of government policy has undoubtedly pushed the health-care world into modern times. Whether welcome or not, mandates such as meaningful use have made concepts such as patient engagement a priority among RIS/PACS design teams across the country.

From apps to telemedicine and beyond, technology has become a linchpin for patient engagement. The RSNA Image Share network represents a prime example.

February 5, 2014 (HIMSS Booth #4388) – Raleigh, NC - Viztek, the leading provider of complete digital software and hardware diagnostic imaging solutions, today announced 45 percent year-over-year revenue growth from the 2011-2013 calendar years. Strong DR and PACS sales supported this, with 20 percent growth in DR, and 15 percent growth in software. The PACS replacement market was particularly strong for the company, with 75 replacements in 2013, a year when Viztek also saw a significant jump in its customer base of hospitals with more than 200 beds.

Like many people, Chris Tirabassi has watched the political parties duke it out over the relative merits of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. As practice administrator for CNY Diagnostic Imaging Associates LLC (Liverpool, New York), however, he has little time for philosophical discussion. Instead, Tirabassi is knee-deep in the meaningful-use mandates of the HITECH Act, as they apply to CNY’s Syracuse-area private practice of six radiologists.

In dissecting stage 2 of the meaningful-use program, Alberto Goldszal, MBA, PhD, drolly summarizes the meaningful-use challenge for radiologists: “In the meaningful-use rules, you are going to see some specific examples of things that are changing the radiology workflow that are perceived as a contraindication for radiology efficiency,” he says. “Overall, it does improve patient care—at least, that is the intended goal.”

For Colorado Springs Radiologists/PENRAD Imaging (Colorado Springs, Colorado), state-of-the-art imaging equipment and IT solutions have long supported a mission to offer top-tier patient care while maintaining a high degree of efficiency overall. A recent move to support this mission by replacing its RIS and billing systems has led the practice to the brink of Stage 1 meaningful use Stage 1 attestation, slated to occur shortly after January 1, 2014.