National Decision Support Company Announces New Option for Customers to Acquire Imaging CDS

ANDOVER, Mass., Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- National Decision Support Company (NDSC) has integrated the American College of Radiology's ACR Select decision support content with Epic's electronic health record (EHR) software. ACR Select can also be added as part of the Epic Foundation System allowing customers to take an integrated approach to acquiring and implementing ACR Select within their overall EHR strategy.

"This agreement allows the market to include ACR Select as an integral part of a comprehensive EHR strategy," said Michael Mardini, CEO of NDSC. "We have focused on integrating ACR Select at clinically appropriate points within in the workflow in order to eliminate physician disruptions and add value during the exam ordering process. Additionally, all utilization data is available through Epic's Clarity and Reporting Workbench standard reports."

This integration further demonstrates the benefits of making American College of Radiology (ACR) content accessible to a large market base through NDSC. "ACR Select has the most impact when it's directly integrated at the point of ordering within the EHR workflow. It is an integral part of realizing our Imaging 3.0 initiative," said William Thorwarth, CEO of ACR."

NDSC has seen a significant increase in market interest since passage of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, which requires ordering physicians to consult appropriate use criteria when ordering certain diagnostic tests. Having EHR and order entry system integrations with solutions that are so widely accepted in the market is a game changer.

"Healthcare facilities understand that unnecessary imaging must become a thing of the past. Having the appropriate tools in place to ensure that ordering the right diagnostic test at the right time is pivotal to decreasing costs and improving quality across the care continuum.  Lawmakers have also weighed in on the benefits of appropriate use criteria," said Mardini. "It's incredibly fulfilling to be able to provide clients with the tools and acquisition options to help them manage this transformation and prepare for the new legislation."

About National Decision Support Company

National Decision Support Company (NDSC) is the exclusive distributor of national standards clinical decision support (CDS) imaging guidelines. NDSC provides the technical platform, support, and licensing of digitally consumable CDS that continuously educates providers regarding the latest evidence-based approach to medicine without disrupting the doctor-patient relationship or delaying needed care. For more information, visit www.NationalDecisionSupport.com.

About ACR Select

ACR Select, provided by National Decision Support Company, is the complete web service version of American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria® (AC). ACR AC is a comprehensive national standards clinical decision support database that provides evidence-based decision support for the appropriate utilization of all medical imaging procedures. More than 300 volunteer physicians, representing more than 20 radiology and non-radiology specialty organizations, participate on the ACR AC expert panels, continuously updating these nationally transparent guidelines, and providing real-time access to the latest medical imaging decision support. The ACR Select platform can be easily integrated with computerized ordering and electronic health record (EHR) systems so healthcare organizations can effortlessly consume ACR AC guidelines and ensure that the right patient gets the right scan for the right indication. For more information, visit www.ACRselect.org.

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SOURCE National Decision Support Company