Enterprise systems

Kodak unveils CareStream  solutions at HIMSS

DALLAS – In an ambitious move, Kodak has announced plans to expand its suite of solutions beyond the radiology department to include the electronic health record across the enterprise and healthcare continuum.

The company chose the February 2005 meeting of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, held here in Dallas, to make the announcement.

Kodak’s new CareStream solutions are scheduled for general availability in the second half of 2005. These solutions can help healthcare facilities optimize workflow, improve clinical processes and enhance patient care.

According to company officials, Kodak acquired much of the technology from an Australian developer and has been refining the systems. Currently, the company has two pilot sites. At HIMSS, Kodak’s Health Group showed for the first time its scalable suite of CareStream solutions that includes:

• CareStream Clinical Solutions. Comprises electronic medical record (EMR), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), enterprise-wide scheduling, care guides, nursing, decision support and closed loop medication management.

• CareStream Foundation Solutions. Manages images and information, provides secure communications and interfaces to departmental and other information management systems.

• CareStream Pharmacy Solutions. A fully integrated system that links physicians, pharmacists and nurses and supports pharmacy management, e-prescribing, dispensing and labeling, inventory management, medication administration, drug manufacturing, purchase order management, and sales and billing.

The open CareStream Architecture easily interfaces with a healthcare provider’s existing systems for efficient collection and sharing of patient information and protection of current investments.

“KODAK CareStream Solutions offer valuable functionality and flexibility for clinical, IT and administrative personnel. These applications deliver an efficient method for managing information and images, captured by a variety of disparate systems, to create patient-centric, image-enabled EMRs,” said Lawrence D. Henderson, general manager, Health Informatics, Kodak’s Health Group.

“We work with customers to design solutions that solve specific requirements and business problems,” said Henderson. “Since we can integrate new applications with existing systems, we equip healthcare providers to build upon their investment in information technology infrastructure.”

CareStream Solutions are said to include Kodak’s capabilities in data archiving, image and information management, secure communications, network design and implementation, business continuity planning and workflow consulting services.

CareStream Information Management Solutions enable information lifecycle management (ILM) solutions to be delivered as a customer-owned or hosted option through a portfolio that includes Enterprise Information Management, Hosted Information Management, or Regional Information Management solutions.

Kodak’s portfolio equips IT personnel to efficiently manage the islands of information that exist throughout a healthcare system. Information and images stored anywhere in an organization can be intelligently accessed and managed according to each healthcare provider’s customized clinical storage plans that automate ILM.

This enterprise archiving foundation also allows information to be shared with hospital users and other authorized parties, such as health insurance companies.

In addition to its expertise in secure communications, Kodak asserted that its Professional Services organization can help customers apply workflow and change management methodologies to create enhanced speed and efficiency. These services employ proven methods used in Kodak’s own commercialization and manufacturing operations. Built upon Six Sigma methodologies, this approach is fundamental to helping customers gain maximum effectiveness from KODAK CareStream Solutions.

Kodak’s Health Group, with 2004 revenues of $2.68 billion, is a world leader in supplying the medical and dental professions with advanced healthcare products, services and information technology (IT) solutions. Its product portfolio includes picture archiving and communications systems (PACS), radiology information systems (RIS), enterprise and departmental healthcare information systems, computed radiography (CR) and digital radiography (DR) systems, laser imagers, mammography systems, x-ray film systems for general radiography, and dental imaging products.

Its broad services portfolio includes everything from repair and maintenance, to professional services encompassing equipment integration, business consulting, storage and archiving, secure e-mail services – and more.

For more information about Kodak’s Health Group, visit www.kodak.com/go/health.