Included among the provisions of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 was the stipulation that physicians consult appropriate use criteria when ordering certain diagnostic imaging procedures.

NDSC_ACR SelectNow, National Decision Support Company (NDSC) has announced the integration of the American College of Radiology’s ACR Select decision support software with Epic’s electronic health record (EHR) software. Users can also add ACR Select as part of the Epic Foundation Strategy. The move will allow physicians improved access to the decision support software through one of the most widely adopted EHR solutions in the industry.

“This agreement allows the market to include ACR Select as an integral part of a comprehensive EHR strategy,” said Michael Mardini, CEO of NDSC. “We have focused on integrating ACR Select at clinically appropriate points within the workflow in order to eliminate physician disruptions and add value during the exam ordering process. Additionally, all utilization data is available through Epic’s Clarity and Reporting Workbench standard reports.”

According to the ACR, ACR Select has the most impact on a practice when it’s integrated into the EHR workflow. The College sees the availability of the support software as a key part of its Imaging 3.0 initiative, while NDSC calls the development “a game changer.”

“Healthcare facilities understand that unnecessary imaging must become a thing of the past. Having the appropriate tools in place to ensure that ordering the right diagnostic test at the right time is pivotal to decreasing costs and improving quality across the care continuum,” Mardini said.

For more information, visit National Decision Support Company.