Research Demonstrates Tracking Quality Indicators is of Critical Importance to Gastroenterologists
Minneapolis, MN / Irving, TX - February 06, 2008: Nearly nine in ten (88%) gastroenterologists either currently capture Quality Indicator (QI) data or plan to do so in the next two years, according to a January 2008 independent, national survey of gastroenterologists commissioned by ProVation® Medical and Caris Diagnostics. Of those surveyed who collect QI data, majorities cited colonoscopic withdrawal time (62%) and rate of adenomatous polyp detection (52%) as indicators they capture most frequently.
Quality indicators are specific and measurable elements of practice that can be used to assess the quality of care. They are usually derived from retrospective reviews of medical records or routine information sources. Gastroenterology as a specialty has been particularly proactive in identifying and tracking key indicators of quality care. Though two in five (43%) gastroenterologists who collect QI data use procedure-based software to do so, 82 percent overall consider it the preferred method to capture the data.
“Measuring QI data is becoming a business imperative for physicians. As they continually seek to improve care, and payers seek to build pay-for-performance schedules, software to satisfy both needs is indispensable,” said Arvind Subramanian, President & CEO, Wolters Kluwer Health Clinical Solutions and ProVation Medical.
ProVation® Medical provides procedure documentation software that tracks QI and supports several medical facilities currently participating in a national QI tracking study currently lead by two major gastroenterological societies. Caris Diagnostics is a national, GI sub-specialized anatomic pathology laboratory that has developed the capability to capture and report discrete pathology diagnoses, such as the number of adenomatous polyps, with procedure documentation systems like ProVation MD. The two organizations combined their unique competencies to support this research effort.
"Measuring the detection rate of adenomatous polyps is a central component for determining the effectiveness of a colon cancer screening,” commented Gail Marcus, President and CEO of Caris Diagnostics. “We are excited to support GI clinicians’ efforts to track key quality indicators by providing definitive GI pathology diagnoses through innovative electronic technologies. Our ability to capture and assimilate this data electronically has allowed us to overcome a significant industry challenge associated with tracking quality indicators."
The national survey was conducted by Renaissance Research, of Edwardsville, IL, between Jan. 8-16, 2008. The survey was completed by 182 gastroenterologists, providing a margin of error of +/- 7 percentage points.
About ProVation Medical
ProVation Medical is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information for professionals and students in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Major brands include traditional publishers of medical and drug reference tools and textbooks, such as Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Facts & Comparisons; electronic information providers, such as Ovid Technologies, Medi-Span and ProVation Medical; and pharmaceutical information providers Adis International and Source.
Wolters Kluwer Health is a division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global information services and publishing company with annual revenues (2006) of €3.7 billion and approximately 19,900 employees worldwide.
ProVation Medical provides solutions that significantly enhance revenue and decrease costs per medical procedure. ProVation MD & MultiCaregiver software replaces dictation/transcription and paper charting, producing complete, billing-ready, image- and diagram-enhanced documentation for clinical procedures. The result is coder-ready documentation delivering compliance, proper reimbursement, and shortened days in Accounts Receivable.
About Caris Diagnostics
Caris Diagnostics is a leading provider of the highest quality diagnostic services in anatomic pathology and molecular testing. Caris Diagnostics provides world-class surgical pathology services to physicians who treat patients in an ambulatory setting. The company provides academic-caliber medical consults through its industry-leading team of subspecialty fellowship and expert-trained pathologists in gastrointestinal and liver pathology and dermatopathology. Caris Diagnostics provides the highest levels of service to its customers and their patients through its state-of-the-art laboratories; proprietary, advanced clinical and technology solutions; and rigorous quality assurance programs. Through the cutting-edge testing facilities of Caris MPI, the company also offers advanced analysis of patient samples through prognostic testing services and genomic and proteomic profiling to help guide physicians in the treatment of cancer and other complex diseases. As well, Caris MPI offers a single-source solution for biospecimen procurement, storage, tracking, analysis and reporting for research institutes, pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies and medical centers. More than 1,500 physicians nationally use Caris Diagnostics. Formed in 1996, the company is headquartered in Irving, Texas and operates four laboratories: Irving, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona (2 sites); and Newton, Massachusetts. Additional information is available at www.carisdx.com.
Contact: Leslie Brille, SVP Corporate Affairs, (212) 521-4400