IMPAC Medical Systems and the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups Announce Clinical Trials Agreement
IMPAC Medical Systems, Inc., part of the Elekta Group and a leading provider of information technology solutions for oncology care, and the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups (Coalition), the nation’s premier network of cancer clinical trials specialists, today announced an agreement to incorporate the Coalition’s clinical trial database into IMPAC’s electronic medical record (EMR) designed specifically for oncology.
Fewer than five percent of adult cancer patients are enrolled in clinical trials, largely due to the inability of healthcare providers to easily identify and match patients to available studies. The agreement allows IMPAC to incorporate the Coalition’s TrialCheck® cancer clinical trial database directly into MOSAIQ™, its image-enabled oncology EMR. MOSAIQ Trial Management will provide clinicians with direct access and screening capabilities for trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the Cancer Cooperative Groups, and other publicly and privately funded sources, while also supporting screening for specific trials open to accrual at their home treatment facilities. By working together to bring data and eligibility determination to the point-of-care, IMPAC and the Coalition have the potential of significantly increasing trial enrollment and thereby advancing cancer research.
“We estimate that as many as 200,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year may be clinically eligible to participate in a clinical trial, yet only about 50,000 patients actually participate.” explained Dr. Robert L. Comis, Chairman and President of the Coalition. “Our goal is to see that every cancer patient is routinely screened for possible matching to a clinical trial.”
“IMPAC strives to provide our customers with the tools necessary to enhance practice efficiency and quality of care, and this agreement will accelerate the search for active clinical trials,” stated Joseph K. Jachinowski, IMPAC president and CEO. “In streamlining this process, we are enabling our customers to offer more clinical trial opportunities to their patients.”
Demonstrations of IMPAC’s oncology-specific EMR and clinical trials solution will be available at IMPAC’s booth # 2872 during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO) in Orlando, Florida, May 14-16, 2005. Demonstrations of Coalition products and services will be available at the Coalition’s booth #1063.
About IMPAC Medical Systems, Inc.
IMPAC Medical Systems, Inc., a company in the Elekta Group, provides healthcare IT solutions that streamline clinical and business operations across the spectrum of cancer care. IMPAC’s open integration to multiple healthcare data and imaging systems offers oncology-specific patient charting and practice management, as well as best-of-breed systems for anatomic pathology, clinical laboratory, and cancer registry. With products that range from diagnosis and treatment through long-term follow-up, IMPAC provides a comprehensive oncology management solution that helps improve overall communication, process efficiency, and quality patient care. For more information about IMPAC’s products or services, please call 888-GO-IMPAC or visit www.impac.com .
About Elekta
Elekta is an international medical-technology Group, providing meaningful clinical solutions, comprehensive information systems and services for improved cancer care and management of brain disorders. All of Elekta’s solutions employ non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques and are therefore clinically effective, gentle on the patient and cost-effective.
With approx. 1700 employees, Elekta’s corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden and the company is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. For more information about Elekta’s products or services, please visit www.elekta.com .
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About the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups
The Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life and survival of cancer patients by increasing participation in cancer clinical trials. Founded in 1997, the Coalition was established to address its members’ shared goal of improving the clinical trials system. Today, the Coalition is comprised of members from nine National Cancer Institute-sponsored Cooperative Groups, 40 patient advocacy organizations and 8,000 oncology and cancer research specialists. The Coalition also works with its partners in the healthcare industry to streamline and promote cancer clinical trials in both the public and private sector. For more information about The Coalition, please visit www.CancerTrialsHelp.org
