WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NexGenic today announced the launch of its proprietary technology, ImageInbox®, an app which makes it possible for patients to personally control and store essential medical images and diagnostic reports, and securely deliver them on demand to healthcare providers as easily as sending an email.
ImageInbox® allows patients to electronically send and receive the full-resolution medical images necessary for healthcare providers’ key treatment decisions. Patients have their choice of using the free iPhone/iPad app (app is 99 cents after introductory three-month period) downloaded from the Apple App store that is configurable with their personal Google Drive file storage accounts. Alternatively patients can download a free desktop/laptop version of the app from NexGenic.com for local file storage. The secure technology encrypts and transfers medical images between provider and patient in seconds, eliminating the time, cost and hassle of physically retrieving and delivering the vital information on CD – and eliminating unnecessary radiation that results from additional diagnostic testing if images are otherwise unavailable.
“Images are at the center of major treatment decisions,” explained NexGenic’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Stephan Erberich, Ph.D. “The ability to provide those images safely and confidently to medical personnel should be in the hands of patients who may need to do so at a moment’s notice.”
How It Works
Patients get started by downloading the app from the Apple App store on their iPhone/iPad or by using the Java Desktop App (Windows, Mac OS and Linux). Sending and receiving medical images with your healthcare provider is immediately available after user registration. Comprehensive and helpful videos and documentation, available at NexGenic.com (NexGenic.com/download), guides the user through the process.
At the same time, healthcare providers benefit from NexGenic’s innovative technology by using the ImageInbox® app to electronically send and receive essential medical imaging records from their Radiology archive (Picture Archiving and Communication System – PACS) with other providers and patients for free (up to 100 exchanges each month). Because healthcare providers can begin using ImageInbox® for free, and because it is fully compliant with HIPAA privacy requirements, patients can have confidence that even if their provider isn’t already using ImageInbox® for direct network image exchange, they can join the network immediately and without any costs or long-term contractual commitments.
ImageInbox® empowers both patients and providers to engage in important medical record exchange without the financial and administrative burdens common to the healthcare industry. Direct image exchange between patient and provider eliminates unwanted costs for storage and risks of privacy loss. In compliance with security and regulatory requirements, NexGenic never stores or has access to the patient’s protected health information.
Developed by pioneers in the field of radiology informatics, the award-winning core technology of ImageInbox® has been used in rigorous academic and industry-sponsored clinical trials for over a decade. To date, more than 60 facilities internationally have adopted the technology, including premier pediatric centers in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Alberto F. Pernudi, administrative director, Department of Radiology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, explains that “ImageInbox is not just a radiology application – it goes beyond PACS – it touches every activity in the hospital. The faster physicians see the images, the better care we can provide to the children.”
Flexible Pricing Structure
NexGenic offers ImageInbox® to healthcare providers in a freemium pricing structure determined by the needs of their monthly exchange volumes. Providers using less than 100 transfers (image exams and diagnostic reports) per month can use the service for free. Those with 100-999 transfers are charged a flat rate of $199/month, and those with more than 1000+ transfers are charged a flat rate of $499/month. NexGenic also offers multiple versions of their ImageInbox® Annex Servers, fitted to the image exchange demands of the individual healthcare provider.
“The cost for healthcare providers to utilize ImageInbox® is drastically lower than the costs generally budgeted by medical professionals and facilities for imaging records sharing,” elaborated Erberich, “while the faster delivery and reliability of the images allows for improved overall care for patients. At a time when the healthcare industry is facing tremendous pressure to engage with patients who expect modern, mobile communication tools, it also faces declining reimbursements and shrinking budgets for technology investments. The technical breakthrough ImageInbox® offers benefits both providers and patients by addressing these demands, mobile health and cost savings.”
For those patients who want to share snapshots of medical images with friends and family, such as an ultrasound image to announce a pregnancy, NexGenic is including an optional social sharing feature in its iPhone/iPad app.
Certification and Compliance
Another benefit for healthcare providers to use ImageInbox® is that it is an EHR Module compliant with ONC HIT 2014 Edition criteria. Certified Stage 2 Meaningful Use criteria include ‘Imaging Results’ 170.314(a)(12), and ‘Secure Messaging’ 170.314(e)(3), for use in both Ambulatory (InfoGard Certification # IG-3150-14-0014, Date: May 20, 2014) and Inpatient (InfoGard Certification # IG-3150-14-0015, Date: May 20, 2014) practice settings. Certification was received by an ONC-ACB in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments. (http://www.infogard.com/healthcare_it/ehr_testing_and_certification/ehr_certified_products).
About NexGenic
NexGenic empowers patients with technology solutions that make it possible to communicate medical imaging and diagnostic reports with healthcare providers quickly, easily and securely. Founded in 2013, NexGenic is revolutionizing the way medical images are communicated in healthcare situations where time is of the essence. By enabling patients to greater control and manage medical image records, they can become better informed through expert second opinions. NexGenic solutions reduce unnecessary diagnostic radiation, eliminate the costly and time-consuming physical delivery of images and support better overall patient outcomes. For more information and a better understanding of the way NexGenic is providing an active new communication channel between patients and healthcare providers, please visit www.nexgenic.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
