ENCINO, Calif., March 20, 2003 — Today’s healthcare system faces mounting constraints, as most radiologists know all too well. The struggle to meet the ever-growing patient load is an uphill battle, but emerging technologies such as structured reporting promise some much-needed assistance. Today, StructuRad has announced a major milestone in the mainstream adoption of structured reporting by clinical radiologists. Since 1997 Midway Hospital in Los Angeles has achieved significant benefits and cost savings through the use of a StructuRad reporting solution. Over the past two years, they have successfully used the StructuRad reporting tool exclusively, generating well over 200,000 structured radiology reports. "This represents a significant achievement, and proof that structured reporting is in fact a more productive alternative to traditional dictation/transcription," says Dr. Gerald Berman, Chief of Radiology at Midway Hospital.
To help improve the inherently inefficient dictation/transcription process, the Los Angeles-based company StructuRad is making its structured reporting system available to radiology departments across the U.S. Dedicated to serving the software needs of clinical radiologists, StructuRad’s structured reporting tool addresses items previously unanswered by some of its predecessors. StructuRad’s system requires no hardware or software installation; radiologists simply log into the secure system via the Internet. Once there, clear and accurate secure radiology reports can be generated by a few clicks of the mouse.
The reporting tool’s intuitive "decision tree-driven" design produces complete, natural-sounding radiological reports for the 12 most common radiology modalities. Reports are automatically generated on-screen for radiologists to review, and if appropriate, electronic approval. The report is then made available electronically to the referring physician and, if applicable, the hospital information system for billing and addition to patient records. StructuRad’s application can also be programmed to integrate with a client’s existing RIS or PACS system or software already in use.
"Using the StructuRad system has completely streamlined the radiological report process," says Dr. Michael Smith, an orthopedist and a referring physician at Midway Hospital. "Now I receive my patients’ reports within mere minutes instead of hours or even days. I can now focus on the care and needs of my patients instead of calling the radiologist and trying to track down preliminary reports. This system helps enable us to practice the most efficient, thorough patient care possible."
In addition to heightened productivity and shortened turnaround times, StructuRad says that the benefits of using its system also include reduced insurance coding and billing errors by automatically generating the correct CPT and ICD-9 codes. This results in faster claims payment by insurance providers and virtually eliminates billing disputes.
"The beauty of StructuRad’s structured reporting tool is that it eliminates the lag time encountered with the traditional dictation/transcription and coding process," says Mark Zucherman, VP of Marketing for StructuRad. "By making radiology records available almost instantly, referring physicians receive their patients’ results — by which course of treatment is often determined — much faster. This directly translates into better patient care and reduced costs."
A paper on StructuRad’s clinical setting prototype’s success presented at November 2001 meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago is available.
Founded in 1997 by two radiologists, StructuRad is making its Web-based structured reporting application available to interested Radiologists and Radiology practices now. Web-based trial evaluations are available. For more information on StructuRad or its services, visit www.StructuRad.com or call 818-665-4330.
For more information, contact:
Mark Zucherman
StructuRad
6345 Balboa Blvd., Suite 168
Encino, CA 91316
Phone: (818) 665-4300 Fax: (818) 665 4301
Website: www.StructuRad.com
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