As of the mid-1980s, all RIS systems had been developed to run on mini-computers and/or mainframe computers. They were very expensive.
In this same timeframe, personal computers were becoming popular. A couple of RIS vendors, figured out how to 'bootstrap' their RIS software to run on PCs, but they still looked like mainframe applications (green screen, poor user interface, etc). One x-ray film company (DuPont) began giving away their 'bootstrapped' RIS in return for a three-year film contract.
In 1987, Swearingen Software developed the first RIS designed SPECIFICALLY to run on PCs and offered it at an extremely low price compared to other RIS systems on the market. Kodak and 3M quickly partnered with Swearingen Software to give our RIS away in return for film contracts in order to compete with DuPont.
Within a couple of years, Swearingen Software had captured a significant share of the RIS marketplace. We had prestigious customers such as Tulane University Hospital, University of South Alabama Medical Center, George Washington University Hospital and many more.
Before HL7 existed, there was no easy way to interface healthcare information systems. In 1989, Swearingen Software developed the first generic interface engine and named it RMSLink. It worked by intercepting the serial printer signal that printed requisitions. Through a RMSLink design screen, the user could specify where each piece of information was located on the form. RMSLink would then capture the requisition, as it was printing, and extract the specified data and load it into one of the databases. This allowed our RIS, which was called RMS at the time, to interface to virtually any HIS system.
In 1991, Varian Associates partnered with Swearingen Software for us to develop an Oncology System for them based on our radiology software.
For the next ten years, Swearingen Software grew rapidly and was the primary innovator in the field of RIS. Medical Imaging Magazine once labeled Swearingen Software's founder, Randall Swearingen, as a thought leader in the field of Radiology Information Systems.
Over thirty-five years after its founding, Swearingen Software continues to be the leader in RIS features and functionality. Our strength is listening to our customers and using their direct input to continually improve our product. Our best-of-breed RIS, RISynergy, is designed BY radiology professionals FOR radiology professionals.
