Rapid Radiology

Integrated radiology results in real-time

With a commitment to moving teleradiology forward through advanced technologies and services, Rapid Radiology supports a fast-growing network of mobile radiology vendors who service long term care providers and facilities. As part of their charters, these mobile x-ray providers need to be able to react quickly when an imaging requisition is received and have all the required patient information so they can be dispatched to the right location, right patient and ensure proper insurance application.

Today, many EMRs in the long term care space require that orders and results are digitized so that all workflow starts in the EMR (Electronic Medical Record) at the care facility and test results are automatically delivered back into the EMR and the patient’s chart. OpenText™ EMR-Link™ not only supports the full integration connection between the radiology provider and the long-term care facility’s EMR, but also delivers validated, complete electronic ordering, and enables radiology results to be received, accessed, and stored as a part of a patient’s healthcare record. Delivered as a managed service by OpenText experts, the solution supports a single, unified connection from a lab to any healthcare facility and any EMR application.

Mike Spears, Executive Vice President at Rapid Radiology, described the ease of sending radiology results with the OpenText solution: “We can automatically put the electronic radiologist report into the patient’s file in real-time. We also put a link to the images so that the patient’s care team can see those images without having to go into a second system. Those images are directly inside the patient’s file. This closes the loop and ensures that the patient record includes all the information coming from the radiology side.”

Fast, accurate diagnostic services that streamline care delivery

Using the EMR-Link solution, Rapid Radiology is adding 250 customer integration projects to its portfolio, bringing its total facility connections to more than 600 across the U.S. In addition to using OpenText EMR-Link to deliver patients’ radiology results to healthcare facilities, Rapid Radiology is participating in a cutting edge pilot project to give facilities the ability to submit electronic orders for radiology tests.

The streamlined delivery of radiology test results benefits Rapid Radiology, its customers, the long-term care physicians, and most importantly the more vulnerable patients in senior care facilities. Sharing diagnostic results more quickly with a patient’s care team improves decision-making, resulting in more timely and appropriate treatment. Eliminating delays with results and treatment can also contribute to a reduction in avoidable hospital readmissions.

The new ordering pilot project also promises tremendous gains in patient care. Spears noted the benefits of faster orders and results: “OpenText EMR-Link allows us to deliver better turnaround on patient care. An order can happen in real-time in our system now—the order comes in and it’s automatically dispatched to the correct tech in that area, versus taking a phone call, getting a fax, getting an email, and then having to re-enter it into a system.”

Easy access to patient test results, as well as complete, error-free electronic orders helps eliminate delays and the need for manual intervention, which keeps operational costs down and saves time. Instead of searching for and managing paper results or faxes, patient care teams gain quick access to review results and develop treatment plans. Clear, legible electronic results also reduce the potential for errors. “We’re all about patient care. On the orders side, it allows us not only to make sure that we are getting quality data in real time, such as patient history and billing information, but also to reduce delays. On the results side, OpenText EMR-Link allows us to put the images and reports into the patient’s file,” explained Spears.

In addition, improved efficiency and faster processing helps with healthcare reimbursements. The optimized electronic workflow means there is accurate and complete data, avoiding the need for phone calls, manual data entry, and billing delays. “We’re getting better billing information. The billing part is very important, because when the radiology tech is offsite, they’re trying to get tech sheets, they’re going to the nurses’ station trying to get a copy of the order, along with numerous other activities. With the order interface, they’re able to see all of that directly in the system. They have all the billing information right there,” said Spears.

Advancements in process improve patient care

Rapid Radiology sees the ultimate benefit in the technology’s ability to enhance patient care. Automatic, accurate, accelerated data leads to faster clinical decisions that improve patient outcomes, and bring relief to the anxious families of those loved ones in senior care. “With the order interface, the radiologist has a complete patient history in order to give the best patient care on that report. The images and the report go into that patient file, so the referring doctors have access to it. It’s all in that one system, and the patient now has a full file in the EMR. As soon as that patient’s image is done, the referring doctor, even if they are not in the facility, can go into the EMR and review those images and those reports,” said Spears.

Committed to advancing teleradiology with forward-thinking technology, Spears summarized the value of the OpenText solution in helping Rapid Radiology meet its goals: “OpenText EMR-Link is key to our business. It’s what we’ve built our business on.”