Merge nears etrials acquisition
Merge Healthcare is a big step closer to acquiring etrials Worldwide, a provider of software and services for coordinating and capturing patient data during clinical trials. Its Merge Acquisition Corp. has accepted 9.6 million shares of etrials common stock, representing 86% of the outstanding shares of the company’s common stock. Merge plans to exercise its “top up” option to increase ownership to more than 90% of the outstanding shares of etrials common stock and then acquire all of the remaining outstanding etrials stock by means of a short-form merger and without the need for an etrials shareholder meeting. Upon completion of the merger, the remaining outstanding shares of etrials common stock will be converted into the right to receive $0.80 in cash, without interest, and 0.3448 shares of Merge common stock. Upon completion of the merger, etrials will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merge Healthcare.

GE partners with Medicalis on EMR
GE Healthcare will integrate clinical decision support software for diagnostic imaging from Medicalis into its Centricity Imaging IT and Electronic Medical Records products. The Medicalis software uses best practice knowledge to help physicians order the right imaging study the first time, according to GE. Medicalis’ decision support module provides in-context advice as a provider places the imaging study order, based on clinical guidelines developed by the American College of Radiology, American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, and the American Society of Spine Radiologists.