Lexmark Healthcare, CDI partner to create new medical image exchange

Lexmark Healthcare and Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI) have partnered to announce the availability of the National Image Exchange, which allows healthcare organizations to exchange medical images and content both with each other and with organizations outside of the CDI network.

When referring patients to the exchange, hospitals and practices will receive access through the CDI provider portal.

The National Image Exchange is expected to improve interoperability, give providers faster access to images, and make patient transfers less problematic.

"The desire for an interoperable, patient-centric healthcare ecosystem requires secure access to the right electronic health information by the right people at the right time, across products and organizations," Reynolds C. Bish, Lexmark vice president and Lexmark Enterprise Software president, said in a statement. "Lexmark helps customers effectively manage medical images and other unstructured patient content to quickly exchange information, allowing them to enhance care and reduce delays and errors."

Linda Bagley, CDI chief information officer, said in the same statement that this new exchange could save valuable time.

“Seconds count whenever a patient is waiting to receive care," Bagley said. "Fast, secure exchange of images between facilities is core to our mission of delivering the best care and best experience at CDI. It improves healthcare quality by allowing healthcare providers to be much more responsive with fewer delays. Lexmark Open Image Exchange offers us a comprehensive approach to interoperability with an easier path to implementation.”