CULVER CITY, Calif., April 11, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- CARESIDE, Inc. (AMEX:CSA), a provider of point-of-care (POC) blood analysis instrumentation and records management, announced today a partnership with Charlottesville, VA-based Medical Automation Systems, Inc. (MAS) that will link Careside products to MAS' network of health system clinical databases via a communications interface. Making it possible to automatically transmit test results from Careside products over the MAS network, the partnership will ultimately provide Careside products connectivity to all of the more than 250 hospital and health system clients currently served by MAS.
Careside Chairman and CEO W. Vickery Stoughton commented, "We realize the tremendous opportunity this relationship creates. It provides a cost-effective solution leading to a better, more powerful technology to meet customers concerns about connectability. We will also benefit from the added marketing leverage provided by MAS."
Connecting the test results from POC devices to laboratory information systems is a pressing need in hospital health system settings. A study by Enterprise Analysis Corporation of POC testing connectivity at more than 500 hospitals found that the number one customer concern is POC connectivity. According to the study, only 16 percent of POC test results are sent electronically to hospital information systems and 67 percent are never sent at all.
The Careside System will be linked to MAS' single source lab information system (LIS) interface called RALS(r)-LIS. This will ensure that in MAS client settings Careside test results will be electronically connected to the hospital and patient records each time tests are performed.
Under the agreement, MAS has agreed to provide Careside a team capable of installing the entire Careside system, as well as the electronic interfaces, to supplement Careside's installation group. MAS will open a West Coast office later this year and share space with Careside at its Culver City headquarters.
"With the increasing trend towards decentralized healthcare, we are excited to participate in this relationship with CARESIDE," states Gregory A. Menke, MAS President and CEO. "Their technology linked to laboratory information systems through RALS-LIS will establish a new standard for point-of-care testing."
Medical Automation Systems (http://www.medicalautomation.com/) is the leading supplier of information management systems for point-of-care testing. MAS products include RALS(r)-LIS, a standalone conectivity solution that simplifies the LIS/HIS order and result entry process. RALS-LIS uses Direct (EDI) HL7, Terminal Emulation (Scripted) and Windows(tm) Interfacing methods, is compatible with all major LIS vendors as well as the company's RALS(r)-Plus vendor-neutral information management system. MAS is a charter and founding member of the Connectivity Industry Consortium (CIC) which ensures that RALS products will always reflect the latest in industry standards. The company is privately held, employs 115 people and is based in Charlottesville, Va.
CARESIDE, Inc. markets a proprietary blood testing system including its CARESIDE Analyzer(r) a companion hematology system called the H-2000 Hematology Analyzer, and its CARESIDE Connect record management system linking the two devices into customers' laboratory or patient information systems. The CARESIDE Analyzer provides a cost-effective and efficient means of measuring blood chemistry, electrochemistry and coagulation function at the patient's point-of-care by producing accurate test results within 15 minutes. CARESIDE, Inc. is one of the world's leading developers of advanced point-of-care blood testing technology. For more information on the Company, call (888) 698-2273 or access www.careside.com.
Safe Harbor: Statements in this press release regarding CARESIDE Inc. which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Key factors which may impact these statements include challenges inherent in product research, development, manufacturing and marketing, and the other factors discussed in the Company's prospectus filed October 2000. All such factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those presented in or suggested by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements. Please see the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's prospectus and reports on file with the Securities Exchange Commission.