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Health care taps tech

Carpe eDatum working with e-Scan MRI on new radiology network

Two Austin companies are using new technology and the Internet to make the local health care industry more efficient and cost-effective.

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Carpe eDatum Inc. is creating a network for e-Scan MRI Health Matrix Corp. that strives to make the current radiology process obsolete. Those involved say they are taking the idea of a paperless office one step further. The current process for an MRI is somewhat cumbersome. It works like this: Patients visit e-Scan MRI for the MRI. The image is developed on film, then sent to a radiologist by courier for analysis. The image and the written diagnosis then are put back into a courier's hand so they can be hand-delivered to the patient's doctor. Soon, e-Scan MRI, which uses its two MRIs to accommodate 250 patients a month, will put the whole process online. The network will be available to local physicians and radiologists within the next month, says Gary Mermelstein, CEO of Carpe eDatum.

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"This can cut a two-day process down to two hours," says John Williams, president of e-Scan MRI. "That's important. Physicians have been ratcheted up so much they're trying to see as many patients as possible" to remain profitable. With the support of the Austin Radiology Association, the technology is being marketed to about 500 area physicians, Williams says, including the 90 who now refer patients to e-Scan MRI's office at 720 W. 34th St. The time saved is one of several benefits, according to those involved.

Radiologists using the system no longer need to rely solely on a sheet of film for their diagnosis. The electronic image that's emailed to them can be manipulated for a more accurate diagnosis; bones can be "removed" and a specific portion can be zeroed in on. The radiologist's written diagnosis also can be accompanied by a verbal synopsis, and when the process is done, it all can be stored on a secure server rather than a shelf in a doctor's office. "That way the records can be accessed from just about anywhere at anytime," says Mermelstein, adding that some patients may receive a copy on a CD for their own records. The process uses encryption and a secure network to protect patient information. Mermelstein says the technology making this possible was developed recently by a Croatian company, which has licensed the software exclusively to Carpe eDatum for distribution in North America.

In November, Carpe eDatum struck a similar deal with the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Mermelstein says the widespread availability of broadband Internet access makes the process viable in the Austin area. Using information technology, or IT, to cut costs and save time is becoming common practice at local health care companies. But the industry as a whole is behind the curve, says Preston Gee, senior vice president of strategic planning at the Austin-based St. David's HealthCare Partnership. When it comes to adopting innovative IT, Gee says, "health care lags behind the rest of the American industries by at least five, maybe 10 years. In health care, we're not where we need to be."

Email COLIN POPE at (cpope@bizjournals.com).