OREANDA-NEWS. September 07, 2012. McKesson announced the release of McKesson Cardiology 13.0, with enhancements acclaimed by customers and technology experts alike for its ground-breaking innovation. With this new release, McKesson becomes the only company to offer a single database solution for cardiac and peripheral catheterization, hemodynamics monitoring, electrophysiology (EP), echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, nuclear cardiology and ECG/stress/holter management. Data entered at any point of care flows into the electronic health record (EHR) without the need for potentially cumbersome interfaces or redundant documentation. This latest release further emphasizes McKesson's commitment to help healthcare providers improve patient outcomes, boost clinical efficiencies and reduce operational costs, reported the press-centre of McKesson.  

In the October 2011 KLAS Cardiology 2011 report, providers ranked the McKesson cardiology solution to be the most complete solution in the studyi. The solution becomes even more comprehensive with the addition of EP, stress, holter and inventory management modules.

"The McKesson Cardiology EP is a one-of-a-kind, complete, patient-centric solution," said Andrea Russo, M.D., director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Services, Cooper University Hospital and professor, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University. "Generally, cardiology department electrophysiology documentation is spread across at least four databases, as well as paper records. This solution integrates all essential cardiovascular information, which will ultimately lead to increased lab efficiency, improved data accuracy and improved efficiencies for cardiology staff."

With McKesson Cardiology 13.0, all data—from pre-procedure and intra-procedure information to physician reporting to American College of Cardiology's National Cardiac Data Registry (NCDR)—is integrated and immediately available to physicians to review or share with other caregivers. "The more information we can acquire from one source, the less data entry required and the less chance of inaccuracy," added Russo. She also noted the benefit of customizable reporting capabilities, an ACC ICD data capture and overall ease of use as unique benefits.

As part of its research and development effort, McKesson teams worked closely with physician members of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), whose mission is to improve patient care through the advancement of healthcare policies and standards. The electrophysiologists from HRS praise the new McKesson release, calling for its design to become the industry standard.

"Until now, hospitals across the country have been using various vendor solutions with adequate functionality, but poor usability at the point of service," said Michael Mirro, M.D., a nationally noted member of the HRS and the American College of Cardiology, as well as clinical professor of medicine at Indiana University and medical director, Parkview Research Center and electrophysiologist, Parkview Physician Group-Cardiology. "Staff typically had to enter the same data in multiple places, and the available systems didn't support real-world workflows. By harmonizing all data fields, McKesson Cardiology 13.0 simplifies the data entry, including physician reporting and ICD registry workflow. In doing so, the solution helps to save staff time and reduce operational costs. This is why the HRS is now working with other professional societies to use this solution as the foundation of new healthcare IT standards."

In addition to newly added EP and stress/holter management capabilities, the 13.0 release includes a new inventory management module. Tightly integrated with the McKesson Point of Use Supply™, the new solution is designed to provide documentation, billing and management for inventory in the cardiovascular department. With a single barcode scan into McKesson Cardiology, for example, the system will automatically update clinical documentation, generate charges, adjust stock levels and electronically send orders to the hospital materials management system.

"McKesson has always been an active partner with professional organizations, like the HRS and our customers, to identify and develop, cutting-edge solutions," said Kevan Torgerson, president, Enterprise Medical Imaging, McKesson Provider Technologies. "The new release supports McKesson's Better Health 2020 initiative through the availability of more accurate, timely clinical data, which leads to faster decision making and improved staff efficiencies, all at a competitive cost of ownership."

Dr. Mirro agreed and called for greater collaboration between technology providers and clinicians. "This level of collaboration between the healthcare technology community and physician leaders is exactly what it takes to create the most advanced technology solutions," he said. "With 13.0, McKesson has done a great thing for the entire cardiology community."

About the Heart Rhythm Society
The Heart Rhythm Society is the international leader in science, education and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and patients, and the primary information resource on heart rhythm disorders.

About Cooper University Hospital
Cooper University Hospital is the leading provider of comprehensive health services, medical education and clinical research in Southern New Jersey and the Delaware Valley. With more than 700 physicians in over 75 specialties, Cooper is uniquely equipped to provide an almost unlimited number of medical services. As the clinical campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden, and now the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, the hospital is committed to excellence in medical education, patient care and research. Cooper offers training programs for medical students, residents, fellows, nurses and allied health professionals in a variety of specialties.

About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 14th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.