National Decision Support Company offers free access to ACR Select

ANDOVER, Mass., Dec. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- National Decision Support Company (NDSC), the American College of Radiology's (ACR) partner for the distribution of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria® is offering free trial access to its ACR Select portal.

ACR Select is the digitally consumable version of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria clinical decision support and users access the criteria when it is integrated with Electronic Health Record (EHR) platforms, other workflow applications, or directly via the ACR Select portal.

"We want imaging professionals to directly experience the clinical value of ACR Select, and there is no better way than providing direct access," said Michael Mardini, CEO, NDSC. "Users will have full, unrestricted access to the content, and will be able to provide feedback on the criteria presented by ACR Select.  We are building registries and feedback mechanisms to gather real-time feedback in an effort to improve the criteria by listening to users and capturing usage metrics."

Furthermore, ACR Select supports the Imaging 3.0™ initiative—the change process led by the ACR for the field of radiology. It includes a set of technology tools that equip 21st-century radiologists to ensure their key role in evolving health care delivery and payment models—and quality patient care.

"Imaging 3.0™ is a call to action to all radiologists to take a leadership role in shaping America's future health care system," said Bibb Allen, Vice Chair, Board of Chancellors of the ACR. " ACR Select is the cornerstone to transforming Radiology's value proposition and we invite our membership to take advantage of NDSC's offer and experience first-hand how ACR Select can make Imaging 3.0™ a reality."

When healthcare providers subscribe to ACR Select the content may be used in any electronic platform, including integrations with EHRs and order entry systems that provide real-time, in workflow guidance at the time of order and enable real-time consultations with Radiology when required. The entire process is documented in the patient record, allowing for in-depth analytics, documenting radiology's contribution to the care cycle.

"Because ACR Select is a digital knowledge base, we have a unique opportunity to create a continuous feedback loop which is used to update the criteria by gathering clinical feedback from users," stated Bob Cooke, VP Marketing and Strategy, NDSC. "One of the interesting features of our portal is that it will allow users to be a part of the ACR Select community and contribute to the content."

"The voice of the imaging community is vital to our efforts to promote a continuously updated national standard," explained Mardini. "ACR Select is the cornerstone imaging's transformation in a value driven healthcare economy."

National Decision Support Company will be demonstrating its latest developments and offering free trial registration to the ACR Select portal at RSNA 2013, Booth #1748, South Hall.

About National Decision Support Company

National Decision Support Company (NDSC) is the exclusive distributor of national standards clinical decision support (CDS) imaging guidelines. NDSC provides the technical platform, support, and licensing of digitally consumable CDS that continuously educates providers regarding the latest evidence-based approach to medicine without disrupting the doctor-patient relationship or delaying needed care. For more information, visit http://www.NationalDecisionSupport.com.

About ACR Select

ACR Select, provided by National Decision Support Company, is the complete web service version of American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria® (AC). ACR AC is a comprehensive national standards clinical decision support database that provides evidence-based guidance for the appropriate utilization of all medical imaging procedures. More than 300 volunteer physicians, representing more than 20 radiology and non-radiology specialty organizations, participate on the ACR AC expert panels, continuously updating these nationally transparent guidelines, and providing real-time access to the latest medical imaging procedure guidance. The ACR Select platform can be easily integrated with computerized ordering and electronic health record (EHR) systems so healthcare organizations can effortlessly consume ACR AC guidelines and ensure that the right patient gets the right scan for the right indication. For more information, visit http://www.ACRselect.org.

SOURCE National Decision Support Company