• buy 
• sell $
• about
• My DOTmed 

Malvern, Pa. -- MedCentral Health System has just launched Siemens (www.siemens.com/healthcare) new knowledge-driven healthcare data-mining tool, Soarian Quality Measures, enabled by the REMIND (Reliable Extraction and Meaningful Inference from Non-structured Data) Platform. The application will help MedCentral streamline its quality improvement process by automating chart abstraction and helping expedite the submission of quality measures, as defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission.

"Soarian Quality Measures provides an intelligent presentation of relevant clinical data to the forefront of our end users," said Michael Patterson, M.D., chief medical officer of MedCentral Health System. "The data transparency enables us to accurately and effectively monitor episodes of care, while implementing steps of corrective action for continuous quality improvement. Additionally, Soarian Quality Measures is an effective clinical documentation and validation tool. The application yields a positive impact on a given severity index and subsequently adjusts across our case mix index, resulting in an increase to our bottom line."

CMS continues to encourage the delivery of high-quality care with an additional emphasis on the transparency of hospital results and reporting, creating a link to payment incentives. This dynamic endeavor is supported and dependent upon the capture and submission of an ever-increasing number of quality measures. In order to address this ongoing challenge, effective and efficient reporting is critical.

Soarian Quality Measures replaces time-consuming manual chart reviews with highly accurate and automated chart abstraction of quality measures. It analyzes and draws conclusions from all available electronic patient data from both Siemens and non-Siemens Information Technology systems, including structured data, such as demographics and financial information, and unstructured free text found in clinical notes and transcribed reports. The results of the analysis are presented in a simple, intuitive interface, allowing the abstractor to quickly review, validate the results, and initiate the submission process.

"Soarian Quality Measures will help us focus on improving our performance instead of gathering data," said Janene Yeater, assistant vice president of accreditation/utilization at MedCentral Health System. "It is an essential, time-saving tool that automates the abstraction of critical patient data and enables our teams to focus on providing the best quality of care possible."

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs around 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries.

MedCentral Health System is a Mansfield, Ohio-based independent, not-for-profit organization. Created Jan. 1, 1996, it is comprised of two general, acute care hospitals: Mansfield and Shelby, with a combined total of 351 beds and 44 bassinets. With about 2,700 employees, it is the largest employer in Mansfield and the second largest in the six-county area it serves. Its active medical staff numbers over 200, representing a complete range of primary care and specialty practices. The system offers complete cardiac care, comprehensive neurological services, a walk-in medical center, industrial health and safety services and the MedCentral College of Nursing. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.medcentral.org/homepage.cfm?id=1.