What You Should Know
- The Deal: HealthMark Group, a leader in clinical information exchange, has acquired Purview, an Annapolis-based cloud medical imaging company.
- The Problem: Despite massive digital transformation in healthcare, an estimated two-thirds of radiological images are still shared via physical discs (CDs). This “sneaker-net” approach delays care and frustrates patients.
- The Solution: By integrating Purview’s cloud platform, HealthMark aims to provide a “complete clinical picture,” allowing providers to access and view heavy DICOM imaging files instantly alongside standard medical records, regardless of where the care was delivered.
Ditching the Disc
The statistics driving this deal are startling. Industry experts estimate that nearly two-thirds of radiological images are still shared via physical media. In an urgent care scenario, waiting for a disc to be burned, mailed, or driven can delay critical treatment.
Purview’s technology solves this by moving the entire process to the cloud.
- Ingestion: It simplifies the upload of complex DICOM files.
- Access: It allows for “diagnostic-quality” viewing on any browser, anywhere.
- Trust: The platform is already used by five of the top ten children’s hospitals in the country.
“The acquisition of Purview is an important step in our journey to provide digital, self-service and immediate access to patient health data for authorized recipients,” said Bart Howe, HealthMark’s chief executive officer. “Medical imaging has been the long pole in the tent when it comes to providing timely access to health information due to the challenges inherent in DICOM exchange. Our investment in Purview will provide a more complete and immediate clinical picture to providers, patients and other key stakeholders, accelerating care delivery and improving patient outcomes.”
