ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Siemens Medical Solutions and Drager Medical today announced INVISION(R) ChartAssist(R), the first critical care offering resulting from their co-development and commitment to bringing enterprisewide information technology (IT) efficiencies to the departmental level, at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2004 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla.

INVISION ChartAssist combines the proven critical care charting capabilities of Drager Medical's ChartAssist with Siemens industry-leading INVISION health information system, extending the power of INVISION into the critical care environment to produce a more versatile and comprehensive tool for the enterprise.

Designed to integrate clinical results, reports and critical care information, INVISION ChartAssist automatically collects data from bedside devices, such as patient monitors and ventilators, creating an electronic patient flowsheet and integrating it into the INVISION electronic health record.

"Clearly, the next step for information technology in healthcare is to bring enterprisewide efficiencies to the acute point of care - to intensive care units, operating rooms and other critical care areas," said Tom Miller, president, Siemens Medical Solutions, IT division. "Through this partnership, we have combined our respective strengths in information, diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

"From the Siemens perspective," Miller continued, "we're very excited to grow our INVISION and Soarian(R) families in the acute care space. INVISION ChartAssist marks a key deliverable coming from a very substantial R&D initiative."

"Today's critical care environment is complex, with providers increasingly challenged to deliver efficient and safe care," noted Mike Argentieri, president, Information Technology, Drager Medical. "In Drager Medical, Drager and Siemens have created a groundbreaking joint venture for developing and delivering revolutionary medical innovations, bringing together the core competencies of two of the world's premier medical companies. Our ability to deliver integrated, point-of-care solutions is unmatched in the industry - and we have already started improving bedside workflow today."

-- Improving efficiency in patient care and timely therapeutic intervention through anytime, anywhere access to comprehensive patient information; -- Eliminating paper-based charting through the use of online documentation; and -- Supporting team-based care delivery by integrating the right information at the same time from any location in the fast-paced critical care setting.