EMH Healthcare is using the Amcom Critical Test Results Management (CTRM) solution as a key part of its process for communicating critical patient test results. The Elyria, OH-based organization selected Amcom to provide a more efficient system and improve the workflow for both radiologists and ER physicians, ultimately with a positive impact on patient care.

“We were manually communicating our critical test results,” says Michelle Dossa, Manager, Department of Imaging Services, EMH Healthcare. “When a radiologist identified a critical result he or she would contact the ordering provider via phone, and the information was manually reviewed to determine Joint Commission compliance. For all other wet readings, the ER doctors would then have to retrieve information from the PACS [picture archiving and communications system] and reenter it into their EMR. With so much technology at play we looked for an easier solution to bring it all together.”

Cleared by the FDA as a 510(k) class II medical device, Amcom’s CTRM product integrates with the PACS system, enabling radiologists to document and immediately send alerts about their findings. The communications are HIPAA compliant, and are automatically recorded to provide a full audit trail that supports accountability and assists with Joint Commission reporting.

Amcom inserts the test result findings and alerts into the patient’s EMR, eliminating the need for ER physicians to go back and forth between systems. “The ER doctors immediately see an alert on the EMR dashboard. As a result, communications are smoother and our ER process is now much less manual. We have also eliminated the need for radiology nurses to track reports and dictations, maintain a document log, and make calls to notify ER physicians,” says Dossa.

“EMH Healthcare’s success with our CTRM solution typifies Amcom’s mission – to connect people to the data they need with fast, accurate, and efficient communications,” says Colin Balmforth, President, Amcom Software. “I am very pleased that we are helping EMH Healthcare save valuable time for busy physicians and improve the delivery of care.”

Officials at CSA Medical Inc., the leading provider of advanced spray cryotherapy technology that flash freezes and ablates unwanted tissue inside of the body, announce the successful first patient procedures with the truFreeze Spray Cryotherapy System. Developed based on clinical user feedback, the truFreeze System is the company’s latest technology platform that delivers extremely cold liquid nitrogen spray through a small catheter to flash freeze a variety of unwanted tissue surfaces inside the body, including obstructive or diseased tissue in the airway or gastrointestinal tract.

“For our first truFreeze cases, we treated patients with Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer," says Michael Smith, MD, MBA, Medical Director of the Temple Esophageal Program. "Our patients did extremely well both during and after their procedures and commented that their recovery after truFreeze was easy and comfortable. I am confident that the efficacy of truFreeze will match its tolerability, making it an attractive option to help patients with several gastrointestinal conditions.” Temple University Hospital is the first program to treat patients in the gastrointestinal tract with the new truFreeze system.

Cryotherapy, the use of extreme cold in medical applications, is a proven therapy that has been used for decades to treat diseased tissue on the skin and many parts of the body. CSA Medical’s spray cryotherapy technology was first introduced to the market in 2007 for the ablation of unwanted tissue during endoscopic procedures, and has since been used in more than 9,400 patient procedures. Spray cryotherapy is a minimally invasive and versatile ablation option because of its ability to treat inside the body with a touch-less spray application, which enables physicians to address tissue of varied shapes and sizes.

The truFreeze Spray Cryotherapy System received 510(k) clearance for use as a cryosurgical tool for the destruction of unwanted tissue in the fields of dermatology, gynecology and general surgery. The technology features a number of product enhancements that are designed to improve control and functionality of the device.

“Clinicians in a variety of medical specialties have shown significant interest in use of spray cryotherapy as a clinical intervention,” says Bill Floyd, president and CEO of CSA Medical. “With the truFreeze System, we can better address this clinical need with a versatile product that is designed to make spray cryotherapy more broadly accessible to clinicians and the patients they treat.”

CSA Medical has also sponsored the establishment of the U.S. Spray Cryotherapy Patient Registry to track clinical outcomes of patients treated with the truFreeze device. Commenting on the patient registry, Nick Shaheen, MD, registry co-principal investigator and Director of the Center for Esophageal Diseases & Swallowing at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine states, “The information provided by the truFreeze patient registry will help us understand how to further optimize use of spray cryotherapy in pulmonary and gastrointestinal procedures with the goal of advancing clinical outcomes for patients.”

BASF plans to acquire Pronova BioPharma ASA, Lysaker, Norway, a pioneer in the field of research, development, and manufacturing of omega-3 fatty acids. BASF has reached an agreement with Pronova to make a recommended voluntary public takeover offer to Pronova’s shareholders, and will offer to pay NOK 12.50 in cash for each Pronova share. The Board of Directors of Pronova and the management unanimously support BASF’s offer and recommend its acceptance.

In addition, BASF has obtained irrevocable pre-acceptance commitments for approximately 60% of Pronova’s share capital; including the 50% stake held by majority shareholders Herkules Private Equity Fund (held through its funds Herkules Private Equity (Jersey-I) L.P. and Herkules Private Equity (Jersey-II) L.P.), an approximately 9.1% stake indirectly controlled by investment firms Kistefos AS and Kistefos Investment AS and 0.3% held by members of the Board of Directors and management of Pronova.

The offer corresponds to a premium of 24% above the volume- weighted average share price for Pronova’s shares in the six months prior to announcement of the public takeover offer. Based on all outstanding shares and including all net financial liabilities, the enterprise value would be NOK 4,845 million (approximately €664 million).

“The intended acquisition will significantly strengthen our position in the fast growing and highly profitable market for omega-3 fatty acids. We want to combine the global market reach and experience of BASF with the know-how of Pronova in omega-3 fatty acids,” says Michael Heinz, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE and responsible for the Performance Products segment, which includes the Nutrition & Health division.

Highly concentrated omega-3 fatty acids are a globally growing market, driven by an increasing consumer awareness of omega-3 fatty acids health benefits. With the acquisition of Pronova BASF will immediately achieve a leading position in the global market for omega-3 fatty acids. Pronova’s active pharmaceutical ingredients are used to treat cardiovascular diseases such as post-myocardial infarction. In nutritional applications, including dietary supplements, there is a strong body of evidence supporting a broad range of positive health benefits through omega-3 fatty acids, for example, in the areas of cognitive development or heart health.

At Radiological Society of North America 2012, GE Healthcare has introduced the Silent Scan, a revolutionary technology designed to address one of the most significant impediments to patient comfort – excessive acoustic noise generated during an MR scan. Conventional MR scanners can generate noise in excess of 110dBA (decibels) levels, roughly equivalent to rock concerts, and require ear protection. GE’s exclusive Silent Scan technology is designed to reduce MR scanner noise to near ambient (background) sound levels and thus can improve a patient’s MR exam experience.

“Silent Scan is a huge breakthrough for the MR industry and for patients around the world,” says Richard Hausmann, president and CEO, GE Healthcare MR. “Excessive acoustic noise is a major cause of patient discomfort during MR scans and GE is addressing that with Silent Scan, a new MR advanced application and a major innovation in the healthcare industry. GE is very serious about Humanizing MR and making its MR systems patient-friendly, safe, and without compromise.”

Historically, acoustic noise mitigation techniques have focused on insulating components and muffling sound as opposed to treating the noise at the source. With Silent Scan, acoustic noise is essentially eliminated by employing a new advanced 3D acquisition and reconstruction technique called Silenz, in combination with GE Healthcare’s proprietary design of the high-fidelity MR gradient and RF system electronics. Silent Scan is designed to eliminate the noise at its source; with Silent Scan, patients will experience a more relaxing scanning environment.

Silent Scan is one way in which GE MR is Humanizing MR and putting patients first. GE’s MR systems deliver superb image quality and an optimized patient experience, balancing caring design with insightful technology. Another example of this on display at RSNA is the Optima MR430s 1.5T extremity scanner, which allows patients to undergo an MR exam while sitting in a chair, with Image Quality equivalent to a traditional whole body MR system.

Silent Scan is 510(k) pending at U.S. FDA and not available for sale.