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Agfa implements first U.S. hospital-based RIS/PACS/Speech resulting in a 90% decrease in report turnaround time

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Agfa HealthCare announced the implementation of its IMPAXTM RIS and TalkStationTM speech recognition system, which was integrated with its existing IMPAX PACS solution at Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) in Portsmouth, Ohio in October 2004. As a result, SOMC experienced significant workflow and report turnaround improvements after only three months. One of the major factors in SOMC’s productivity improvements was the adoption of TalkStation for speech recognition and report generation, which has helped reduce report turnaround time from approximately 10 hours to less than two hours.

HIMSS Dallas, TX, February 14, 2005

Agfa HealthCare announced the implementation of its IMPAXTM RIS and TalkStationTM speech recognition system, which was integrated with its existing IMPAX PACS solution at Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) in Portsmouth, Ohio in October 2004. As a result, SOMC experienced significant workflow and report turnaround improvements after only three months. One of the major factors in SOMC's productivity improvements was the adoption of TalkStation for speech recognition and report generation, which has helped reduce report turnaround time from approximately 10 hours to less than two hours.

"Prior to the PACS, the facility had report turnaround time of about 20 hours," explained Howard Stewart, RIS/PACS Administrator, SOMC. "After the implementation of IMPAX RIS/PACS and TalkStation our report turnaround is under two hours, and the CR department turnaround time is less than 20 minutes. Our goal is to be at a 60-minute report turnaround time for the entire facility and I believe we can reach it."

Initially, SOMC was going to start with the dictation component and phase in the speech recognition functionality later in the implementation process, but once SOMC's radiologists were shown the flexible workflow solution and immediate benefits, they decided to implement the complete solution right away. Now 95% of reports are being generated through TalkStation, with the exception of structured Mammography reporting.

"Our radiologists like being able to dictate, edit and sign their reports immediately, no longer having to wait for reports to be corrected by editors," explained Stewart. "They like the macro/template and report check features of the application which helps them create their reports faster and more accurately, and it has helped eliminate any chance of dictating the wrong report," he added.

The SOMC implementation included the installation of the IMPAX RIS and TalkStation Speech recognition integrated into their existing IMPAX PACS, which they installed in 1998. Radiologists continue to access images through IMPAX PACS, but now have single log-in/single desktop integration to immediately access associated patient and exam information at the time of exam interpretation, and physicians utilize the IMPAX WEB1000 web browser to access reports and images. SOMC's RIS modules include the QManager, QDoc, QdFilm and QPlanner. The RIS is also integrated with the hospital's Hospital Information System (HIS), which operates as a 'one-way' electronic records distribution system. "Our goal was to become filmless and paperless. With the Agfa RIS/PACS/Speech solution we have achieved this goal and we are never going back," stated Stewart.

Serving a seven-county region in southeast Ohio and northern Kentucky, Southern Ohio Medical Center is an acute health care system in Portsmouth, Ohio, comprised of a primary care hospital with five satellite centers, an urgent care center, a 70-bed long-term care facility and a 106-apartment retirement center. The medical imaging team includes seven radiologists and over 80 radiology technologists. There are 172 physicians and specialists working at the hospital. Medical imaging modalities include CT, MRI, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, digital mammography, X-ray, PET and gamma imaging.

SOMC's approach has always been strategic. This mid-sized community hospital has long viewed technology as key to achieving three aims: improving patient care, increasing hospital efficiencies, and attracting and retaining top-notch healthcare professionals. "After a while, the human intervention is not enough. You need technology to take you to the next level," says Luis Marquez, Administrative Director, Medical Imaging, SOMC.

Howard Stewart and Luis Marquez agree that the strength of the RIS is the new perspective it provides on how information workflow moves through the department and the hospital - and how that workflow can be improved. "A lot of administrative reports will come out of this that we didn't have in the past, which is in itself a great tool, because we can start focusing on issues or process concerns that we haven't yet thought about," said Marquez.

Agfa was one of the pioneers in synchronized RIS/PACS integration and now has nearly 100 integrated IMPAX RIS/PACS installations worldwide. Launched at RSNA 2004, the North American version features new functionality that supports the workflow needs of the North American market, including integration to IMPAX PACS and TalkStation, as well as an accelerated focus on enterprise connectivity. "We are extremely pleased to bring this RIS version to the North American market with the help of our valued customer and long time partner Southern Ohio Medical Center," said Sara Coulter, Enterprise Solutions Marketing Manager, Agfa HealthCare.

Agfa released its latest version of TalkStation 3.0 at RSNA 2004, which includes a variety of functions to improve productivity and recognition. Correctionist Workflow enables real-time speech recognition with on-the-fly deferral to a transcription editor; Auto Macros provides automatic insertion of demographic and other RIS information directly into report text; and TeleDictation allows dictation from any telephone. TalkStation utilizes ScanSoft® Dragon NaturallySpeaking® speech engine.

As a result of its continued development efforts, Agfa strengthens its global position as one of the frontrunners in PACS and RIS development and as a supplier of digital information management systems to radiology departments in hospitals ranging from small community hospitals to large, multi-site healthcare centers as well as outpatient imaging centers all over the globe.

End of message

About Agfa

The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world's leading imaging companies. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems, intended mainly for the graphics industry and the healthcare markets.

Agfa's headquarters are in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is active in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries throughout the world. Together they achieved a turnover of 4,215 million euros in 2003.

Product and company information can be found on Agfa's home page on the World Wide Web at: www.agfa.com.

Agfa, the Agfa rhombus, IMPAX and See More. Do More. are trademarks of Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Belgium or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Contacts:

Geertrui De Smet

Global PR Manager HealthCare

tel.: +32 (0) 3 444 73 06

fax: +32 (0) 3 444 72 85

e-mail: geertruidesmet@agfapress.com

Jeff Lewis

Media Relations Manager HealthCare, North America

tel.: 201-440-2500 x4192

e-mail: jeff.lewis@agfa.com

Johan Jacobs

Corporate Press Relations Manager

tel.: +32 (0)3 444 80 15

fax: +32 (0)3 444 74 85

e-mail: johan.jacobs@agfa.com

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