News
Jack Cronenwett discusses the success of the VQI® in an NPR interview
Dr. Jack Cronenwett from the Society for Vascular Surgery® was interviewed by NPR (KQED) for a radio show discussing how patients should become informed before major surgery.
Dr. Cronenwett's conversation begins at 02:30.
Listen to the radio show
Read the article
You can read the full article and download an MP3 version of the interview on the KQED website.
M2S Named December “Innovation Rocks!” Winner by the NH Division of Economic Development
“Innovation Rocks!” is an initiative sponsored by the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’s Business Resource Center in coordination with Rock 101 (WGIR-FM) to celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of New Hampshire innovators.
We are honored to receive this innovation award, and are excited to continue our momentum for innovation into 2012!
You can view the press release from NHEconomy.com for the full story.
M2S releases new version of its Preview® Treatment Planning Software
West Lebanon, NH – September 8, 2011: M2S, Inc., a leading provider of patient management and clinical data analysis services today announced the release of version 3.3.0 of its Preview® Treatment Planning software. This latest release of Preview adds the Endologix AFX™ Endovascular AAA System and the Gore® Excluder® AAA Endoprosthesis, featuring C3 Delivery System. Preview 3.3.0 also includes updates to all main body stent graft parts, giving the software a total of eighteen virtual stent grafts. Users can interactively plan endovascular procedures with the simulation of these manufacturer-specific virtual grafts prior to surgery through the company’s patented Virtual Graft™ technology in the Preview software. Other features of the release were user interface enhancements, such as improving the view of measurements on the 3D model.
As the pioneer in advanced vascular 3D imaging and with a commitment to improving vascular patient outcomes, M2S has set the standard for endovascular patient management services for abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms with its Preview software and PEMS® (Patient Evaluation & Management System) registry. M2S’s Preview software provides accurate and efficient pre-operative treatment planning and post-operative surveillance through a 3D model and measurement tools. The software tools aid users with the visualization of treatment strategies and achieving optimal surgical outcomes.
Complementing the attributes of Preview, PEMS provides longitudinal tracking of patient progress with access to images and measurement data through a secure, web-based system. PEMS also features customizable alerts on post-operative outcomes, such as aneurysm volume, stent migration, and endoleak presence for efficient and effective patient management.
About M2S, Inc.
M2S provides medical image and data management services designed to improve patient outcomes through clinical data registries, advanced image analysis, and aortic device clinical trials. M2S is the leading provider of AAA and TAA 3D case planning and patient management tools, enabling physicians and researchers to more accurately determine treatment strategies and achieve better outcomes. To date, the company has evaluated over 200,000 radiographic scans of aortic aneurysms. For the past 10 years, M2S has worked with leading academic centers and medical device manufacturers, managing under protocol, millions of images from around the globe. For more information, visit www.m2s.com.
M2S announces the addition of hemodialysis access to its Clinical Data Pathways registry
West Lebanon, NH – July 26, 2011: M2S, Inc., a leading provider of medical image and clinical data analysis services, announces the release of version 1.11 of its Clinical Data Pathways web-based registry. Clinical Data Pathways, utilized by the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) is a secure, web-based data collection and analysis system that provides real-time benchmarked reports and facilitates local, regional, national, and international data collaboration.
With version 1.11, hemodialysis access procedure and follow-up forms have been added to the Pathways quality improvement database, enabling the Vascular Quality Initiative to now collect perioperative and one-year follow-up data on nine vascular procedures – carotid endarterectomy, carotid artery stent, open and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, infra-inguinal and supra-inguinal bypass, peripheral vascular intervention, thoracic and complex endovascular aortic repair, and hemodialysis access. VQI currently includes 90 participating centers spread across the United States and Canada. In total, the Initiative has collected data on more than 27,500 procedures. These institutions also participate in regional quality groups through the Society for Vascular® Surgery Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO), for the sharing and analysis of data through anonymous, benchmarked reports to initiate quality improvement projects in an effort to improve patient care and the quality of vascular health care.
With the latest release of Clinical Data Pathways, M2S has also expanded the Carotid Artery Stent (CAS) procedure form to include the collection of isolated and proximal common carotid stents, giving participating centers the ability to collect data on all CAS procedures in order to meet the requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Carotid Artery Stent Facility Recertification.
Future updates to Pathways include the addition of an amputation procedure module and integration of M2S’s 3D imaging measurement data into VQI to provide customers with a comprehensive patient management system.
About M2S, Inc.
M2S provides medical image and data management services designed to improve patient outcomes through clinical data registries, advanced image analysis, and aortic device clinical trials. The company developed Clinical Data Pathways in a partnership with the Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE) in order to advance its vascular quality improvement registry. For more information on Clinical Data Pathways and the Vascular Quality Initiative, visit www.m2s.com.
Vascular Quality Initiative Surpasses 25,000 Procedure Milestone
West Lebanon, NH – June 14, 2011: M2S, Inc., the registry provider of the Vascular Quality Initiative, announced today that it has surpassed the 25,000 mark for procedures entered into the database. The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), established in 2011 by the Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) in partnership with M2S, focuses on improving patient safety and the quality of vascular health care by providing a common platform for participating centers and physicians to analyze outcomes, reinforce best practices, and share quality improvement efforts regionally, nationally, and internationally.
The rapid growth in the number of procedures in the Vascular Quality Initiative database is a result of the exponential growth of participating centers. Today there are more than 85 institutions taking part in VQI, entering an average of 300 procedures per week. Utilizing M2S’s Clinical Data Pathways web-based registry, VQI collects pre-operative risk factors, intra-procedural variables, post-procedural outcomes, and one year follow-up data on carotid endarterectomy, carotid artery stenting, open and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, infra-inguinal and supra-inguinal bypass, peripheral vascular intervention, and thoracic and complex EVAR procedures. The Pathways database also provides real-time benchmarked reports of major outcomes and processes of care.
Another factor towards the growth of Vascular Quality Initiative is the expansion of regional quality groups, a key component of the Initiative. Under the auspices of the SVS Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO), regional quality groups share and analyze data through anonymous, benchmarked reports to initiate quality-improvement projects. The continued formation and expansion of regional quality groups will create a greater value for benchmarking clinical data among hospitals, as well as the continued accumulation of data that can leverage quality-improvement initiatives and lead to improved patient care. Today, multiple regional quality groups are organized or organizing throughout the United States in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Virginias, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, the South, Southern California, and Michigan.
About M2S, Inc.
M2S provides medical image and data management services designed to improve patient outcomes through clinical data registries, advanced image analysis, and aortic device clinical trials. The company developed Clinical Data Pathways in partnership with the Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE) in order to advance its vascular quality improvement registry. Upcoming releases to Clinical Data Pathways will include additional procedure forms – Dialysis Access and Amputation – as well as new reporting features. For more information on Clinical Data Pathways and the Vascular Quality Initiative, visit the M2S booth at the Vascular Annual Meeting® in Chicago June 16-18, 2011 or go to www.m2s.com/vascular-quality-initiative.
About the Society for Vascular Surgery
The Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) is a not-for-profit professional medical society, composed primarily of vascular surgeons, that seeks to advance excellence and innovation in vascular health through education, advocacy, research, and public awareness. SVS is the national advocate for 3,370 specialty-trained vascular surgeons and other medical professionals who are dedicated to the prevention and cure of vascular disease.
The Vascular Quality Initiative adds thoracic endovascular aortic repair to its Clinical Data Pathways registry
West Lebanon, NH – April 21, 2011: M2S, Inc., a leading provider of medical image and clinical data analysis services, has added the thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) procedure form to its Clinical Data Pathways vascular quality improvement database, with the release of version 1.10 of the system. The Clinical Data Pathways database is the registry platform utilized by the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), and now collects data on eight vascular procedures – carotid endarterectomy, carotid artery stent, open and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, infra-inguinal and supra-inguinal bypass, peripheral vascular intervention, and TEVAR.
Clinical Data Pathways is a secure, web-based system for data entry and real-time benchmarked report generation. Pathways provides a common platform for VQI participating centers and physicians to collect data on pre-operative risk factors, intra-procedural variables, post-procedural outcomes, and one year follow-up data. Under the auspices of the Society for Vascular Surgery® Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO), participants can analyze outcomes and processes of care, reinforce best practices, and share quality improvement efforts regionally, nationally, and internationally. Centers participating in VQI can also satisfy the requirements for Part IV of the Maintenance of Certification of the American Board of Surgery, collect the necessary data to meet CMS’ Carotid Artery Stent Facility Recertification, and participate in PQRS (Physician Quality Reporting System).
A key component of VQI is the formation of regional vascular quality improvement groups within the SVS PSO for the sharing of data to initiate quality improvement projects in an effort to improve patient care. The real-time, benchmarked reports generated through the Pathways system allows regional groups and participating centers to continuously assess themselves compared to an anonymous group of peers on key performance measures. Currently, regional quality groups are organized or organizing in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Carolinas, Florida, Texas, Southern California, Virginia, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada. The continued formation and expansion of regional quality groups will create a greater value for benchmarking clinical data among hospitals, as well as the rapid accumulation of data that can leverage quality improvement initiatives for detecting root causes of outcomes and improving long-term patient surveillance.
About M2S, Inc.
M2S provides medical image and data management services designed to improve patient outcomes through clinical data registries, advanced image analysis, and aortic device clinical trials. The company developed Clinical Data Pathways in a partnership with the Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE) in order to advance its vascular quality improvement registry. Currently, the Pathways system has collected data on more than 23,000 procedures, with 300 procedures added weekly. Upcoming releases to Clinical Data Pathways will include additional procedure forms – Dialysis Access and Amputation – as well as new reporting features. For more information on Clinical Data Pathways and the Vascular Quality Initiative, visit www.m2s.com/vascular-quality-initiative.
M2S achieves milestone with 200,000th medical image processed for evaluation and surveillance of aortic aneurysms
West Lebanon, NH – February 23, 2011: M2S, Inc., a leading provider of medical image and clinical data analysis services, announced today that the company has reached a new milestone, having evaluated over 200,000 radiographic scans of aortic aneurysms.
As the pioneer in advanced vascular 3D imaging, M2S has set the standard for pre-operative endovascular repair planning and post-operative surveillance. For each scan M2S processes, an interactive 3D model, anatomic measurements and static images are created for access by physicians throughout the world. This data is available via M2S’s PEMS®, Patient Evaluation and Management web-based registry, giving physicians 24/7 access to longitudinal tracking of patient images and measurements, as well as customizable alerts on post-operative outcomes, such as aneurysm volume, stent migration, and endoleak presence. To optimize outcomes, M2S’s Preview® software provides accurate and efficient pre-operative treatment planning tools for abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms, a key component of which is M2S’s patented Virtual Graft™ technology, which allows physicians to visualize their patient’s aortic aneurysm with manufacturer-specific stent grafts prior to surgery.
M2S has also been awarded a Granite State Technology Innovation Grant from the New Hampshire Innovation Research Center for increasing the quality and efficiencies of its vascular 3D imaging process. M2S is committed to providing quality systems and services that will improve vascular patient outcomes and reduce health care costs, by improving clinical trials, optimizing imaging tools, and fostering quality improvement in vascular surgery.
About M2S, Inc.
M2S provides medical image and data management services designed to improve patient outcomes through clinical data registries, advanced image analysis and aortic device clinical trials. M2S is the leading provider of AAA and TAA 3D case planning and patient management tools, enabling physicians and researchers to more accurately determine treatment strategies and achieve better outcomes. For the past 10 years, M2S has worked with leading academic centers and medical device manufacturers, managing under protocol, millions of images from around the globe. For more information, visit www.m2s.com.
M2S receives Granite State Technology Innovation Grant for improving 3D imaging technology
February 17, 2011 – M2S, Inc., a medical image and clinical data management company, announced today that the company has been awarded a Granite State Technology Innovation Grant from the New Hampshire Innovation Research Center. Through this grant, M2S will increase the quality and efficiency of its proprietary 3D imaging technology process. The grant will enhance the technology’s ability to differentiate thrombus, bloodflow and calcification within a 3D model, a quality feature patented by M2S.
The award of this grant supports M2S’s commitment to the development of innovative technologies in the assessment of aortic disease. As the leader in vascular surgery pre-operative treatment planning, long-term patient surveillance, and outcome analysis, M2S is committed to partnering with the strongest minds in order to improve patient care. Through this grant M2S will have the honor to work in collaboration with Dr. Alex Hartov, Professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, to develop a fully-automated solution for producing 3D models from CT data in order to deliver highly accurate, standardized anatomical analyses. The accuracy of the 3D model and measurements provided by M2S through its Preview® treatment planning service is crucial for optimal treatment planning and outcomes.
Benefits to the end-users from this project’s enhancements include a more cost-effective vascular procedure planning and patient management system. M2S is at a pivotal point in developing a unified system that will allow physicians to plan treatment, monitor outcomes and identify best practices. At the end of the day M2S is committed to providing quality systems that will improve patient care and reduce health care costs.
The project is set to begin in February 2011. It will utilize M2S’s large database of patient data and Dartmouth’s researchers’ extensive experience in anatomic segmentation and image guided surgery.
Vascular Quality Initiative Experiences Exponential Growth
West Lebanon, NH – January 18, 2011: M2S, Inc., a leading provider of medical image and clinical data analysis services, announced that the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) experienced exponential growth in 2010, tripling the number of participating centers in the United States and Canada. VQI, established jointly by the Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) and M2S in 2010, is a collaborative of regional vascular quality improvement groups collecting and analyzing data to lead to the improvement of patient care.
The growth in participating centers has led to the expansion of regional vascular quality improvement study groups around the country, a key component of the Initiative. Modeled after the highly successful Vascular Study Group of New England’s (VSGNE) quality improvement registry, regional groups have formed or expanded in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Carolinas, the South, and Southern California, with additional groups forming in Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada. The regional group quality improvement methodology of VQI promotes the sharing of data collected to initiate quality improvement projects through outcome analysis.
Utilizing M2S’s Clinical Data Pathways web-based platform for data collection and report generation, VQI participating centers collect peri-operative data on patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, carotid artery stenting, open and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, infra-inguinal and supra-inguinal bypass, and peripheral vascular interventions. Clinical Data Pathways contains over 20,000 procedures and is adding 200 more procedures each week. The company anticipates another increase in the number of procedures entered into their system with the release of two new procedure forms – Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair and Dialysis Access and Amputation, expected in early 2011.
About M2S, Inc.
M2S provides medical image and data management services designed to improve patient outcomes for clinical data registries, advanced image analysis and aortic disease device clinical trials. The company developed Clinical Data Pathways quality improvement registry in 2009. Clinical Data Pathways is a secure, web-based platform that allows participants to understand and improve patient outcomes by allowing for efficient data collection, aggregation and analysis of vascular procedure data. Pathways also provides real-time, benchmarked reports of major outcomes and processes of care. For more information on Clinical Data Pathways and the Vascular Quality Initiative, visit www.m2s.com/vascular-quality-initiative.
M2S and the Vascular Quality Initiative Featured on Local News Channel
December 6, 2010 – M2S President and COO, Greg Lange, was interviewed by Jackie Bender of WPTZ–WNNE News Channel 5 on Friday, December 3rd for details of the company’s recent partnership with the Society for Vascular Surgery® in forming the Vascular Quality Initiative. This initiative employs a new methodology for vascular quality improvement by fostering the organization of regional study groups to analyze outcomes, reinforce best practices, and share quality improvement efforts locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
