MedStar selects Karos for deconstructed PACS

WATERLOO – Karos Health, a leader in standards-based clinical imaging exchange, cross-enterprise workflow and universal viewing solutions, announced that it has signed an agreement with MedStar Health, which serves Maryland and the Washington D.C. region, to deploy EasyViz and Rialto.
MedStar selected Karos Health to implement the foundation of a “deconstructed PACS,” setting the scene for the future of their enterprise imaging architecture. With EasyViz and Rialto, MedStar can rely on simple and fast access to all relevant clinical information, diagnostic images, and reports, where and when needed:

•  EasyViz will be used for primary reading, real-time collaborative multidisciplinary team sessions and will integrate with a speech recognition system to ensure all radiologists can provide diagnostics as efficiently as possible with all the relevant clinical information at hand.
•  EasyViz will seamlessly integrate the EMR across MedStar Health to ensure clinicians have access to the most recent clinical information, including diagnostic quality images.
•  Rialto will be the interoperability platform facilitating sharing across MedStar Health and the Vendor Neutral Archive (VNA), the backbone of the deconstructed PACS implementation.

“We’ve been working with the EasyViz technology for almost three years and we are pleased to expand our relationship with Karos Health on this initiative. We are expecting an increase in workflow efficiency, significant cost reductions, and a much simpler IT infrastructure while continuing to provide the highest quality of patient care,” says Dr. Steven Brick, MD, Physician Executive Director of MedStar Medical Group Radiology. “This leading edge project is exciting, and we are glad to be at the forefront of improving healthcare,” he added.

“We have successfully deployed deconstructed PACS systems across large regions in Europe. Our project at MedStar Health is an excellent opportunity for us to introduce the same benefits of a deconstructed PACS system to the U.S. healthcare market,” says Frits Thomsen (pictured), Sales Director at Karos Health. “A deconstructed PACS system is indeed a game changer that will revolutionize the way hospitals provide instant access to patients’ imaging data, and Karos Health can deploy that at a very compelling price point,” he added.

Karos Health acquired Medical Insight last fall. Medical Insight, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a leading provider of universal diagnostic imaging solutions.

The company’s EasyViz products use a revolutionary adaptive streaming technology for instant cross-enterprise access to large examinations and reports over low bandwidth connections. Adding complete mobility to clinical workflow and displaying of diagnostic quality images directly from any PACS or Vendor Neutral Archive – all without pre-fetching – makes it the perfect tool for primary reading, enterprise viewing, telemedicine and real-time collaborative group sessions.

According to Karos, EasyViz seamlessly integrates with 3rd-party applications such as RIS, EMR or patient portals. It is used today in many leading institutions across North America and Europe where it delivers unparalleled access to critical diagnostic imaging information at anytime, from anywhere.

About MedStar Health

MedStar Health is a not-for-profit health system dedicated to caring for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. MedStar’s 30,000 associates, 6,000 affiliated physicians, 10 hospitals, ambulatory care and urgent care centers, and the MedStar Health Research Institute are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University, MedStar trains more than 1,100 medical residents annually. MedStar Health’s patient-first philosophy combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MedStarHealth.org.

About Karos Health

Karos Health is focused on elevating the quality of patient care by enabling the sharing and storing of clinical information. Karos’ Rialto platform empowers healthcare enterprises to enable cross community access to information, facilitating collaboration between healthcare providers and patients. Karos’ EasyViz is a breakthrough product for image display, delivering diagnostic quality imaging information when and where needed. Rialto and EasyViz are based on open standards that ensure safe and secure handling of patient health information and is backed by a team with decades of experience in healthcare interoperability. For more information about Karos, visit www.karoshealth.com.