Southeastern Overread Services (SOS), a teleradiology group with headquarters in Greensboro, NC, has adopted eRad’s PACS with integrated speech recognition for its nationwide services.

The system uses the M*Modal engine to convert casual speech into structured, coded, searchable reports, reducing time and money spent on transcription services. SOS has also image-enabled its clients’ electronic health records (EHR), streamlining the overall workflow both internally and externally. The move allows clients to manage quality control and the study verification process themselves, while meeting Meaningful Use stage 2 requirements that providers be able to view images via a certified EHR system.

The change had a direct impact on SOS customers. By the end of the first day, said the company’s IT director Brian Huff, doctors were self-signing and report turnaround time had halved. SOS could also push out STAT reads to their clients in 20 to 30 minutes. The ease of use means that SOS can add additional headcount as necessary without having to worry about adjusting a complex infrastructure.

“From a business standpoint, eRAD solutions decrease the complexity of our business model while maximizing our profit potential,” said Huff.  “From a clinical standpoint, it allows the radiologist to take more control, to concentrate more on each individual study, on quality.”

eRad is a subsidiary of RadNet