Insight uses insurance kiosks to cut costs
Insight Imaging has installed 16 kiosks at selected diagnostic imaging centers to confirm in real-time the insurance benefits of arriving patients. During the check-in process, Insight staff can use the kiosks, which comply with HIPAA standards, to verify patient insurance eligibility. The kiosks, developed in collaboration with Clearwave, a healthcare technology company focused on automating administrative processes, are designed to boost efficiency while streamlining financial and administrative procedures. Eight kiosks were introduced at Insight facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and eight at California locations. Clearwave information technologies were integrated with Insight's practice management system using Clearwave's HL7 interface. Insight executives expect the system to increase cash flow, lower collection costs, and reduce potential year-end write-offs related to bad debt.
GE highlights Voluson upgrades
Enhancements to the GE Healthcare Voluson compact ultrasound platform took center stage Aug. 24 to 28 at the company's booth during the World Congress of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Chicago. SonoVCADlabor, GE's proprietary software for measuring fetal head direction, rotation, and progression in the second stage of labor, runs only on the Voluson i. The upgrade is designed specifically for labor and delivery wards that deal with high-risk pregnancies as well as teaching hospitals where doctors, nurses, or midwives need additional clinical information. Two other enhancements run on both theVoluson i and the less powerful Voluson e. SonoVCADheart streamlines the acquisition of volumetric images of the fetal heart. SonoAVCfollicle calculates the number and volume of ovarian follicles, a critical requirement in assisted reproductive medicine.
