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Citrix Online gives healthcare industry more effective way to access, engage with patient, medical information


Johannesburg, 06 Dec 2006

At its ninth annual business and technology conference, Citrix iForum Global 06, Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems, Inc, the global leader in application delivery infrastructure, announced it is rapidly building momentum in the healthcare industry with its simpler, more powerful software-as-a-service solutions for remote access and collaboration.

As healthcare information becomes increasingly interconnected, Citrix Online is making secure access to electronic medical records, resources and consultations, simple and affordable for individual practitioners, clinics, hospitals, solution providers and large healthcare organisations around the globe.

Virtual medical black bag for making virtual house calls

These next-generation solutions, including Citrix GoToMyPC Corporate remote desktop access services, Citrix GoToMeeting for online meetings made easy, Citrix GoToWebinar a simple solution for conducting Web seminars for up to 1 000 attendees and Citrix GoToAssist remote technical support are empowering these providers to innovate, extend reach and even make virtual house calls.

Providers are adopting these industry-leading solutions to help meet the challenges of delivering critical response, enhancing quality of life for patients and staff, meeting the requirements of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and dealing with issues that impact business continuity.

Requiring no hardware or software installation, maintenance, training or technical expertise, Citrix Online solutions enable customers to remotely view, interact, input decisions on patient data, consult with partners, suppliers and clients on visual information as if they were all in the same room.

According to Barry Runyon, research director of healthcare IT at Gartner, next-generation information access capabilities are fundamentally changing the way healthcare can be delivered and managed.

"A healthcare workforce that isn't tied down to an office computer can serve elderly and rural patients more effectively. The ability to work from home instead of spending extra hours at the office can help attract and retain overburdened medical professionals. And healthcare organisations can expand their services by connecting online to medical specialists around the world."

Bringing the hospital to the home

When healthcare practitioners leave their office to see patients at home or in remote areas, GoToMyPC keeps them in touch with all the applications and data they need to remain productive.

With two hospitals in place and a third one on the way, the organisation needed a simple way to keep its staff connected without requiring them to remain at their PCs. GoToMyPC lets employees work productively from any location as well as making it possible for hospitals to offer flexible staffing and telecommuting options. This also enhances efficiency and employee work/life balance.

First Insight, the leader in practice management and electronic medical records software, uses GoToMeeting Corporate to provide live online courses each week to educate customers, demonstrate products, and collaborate with engineers around the world. Optometrists and ophthalmologists attending the courses do not need to be computer savvy; a simple-to-use interface guides them easily into the meeting.

Support ensures uninterrupted productivity

Remote workers can have the same kind of technical support needs as their desk-bound colleagues. Even within the office, unfamiliar computer and software maintenance tasks can bring work to a halt. Web-based technical support services make it possible to deliver instant live assistance to users in any location within or beyond the clinic. One such approach allows an IT staffer to view or even take over the user's PC remotely, enabling faster troubleshooting, training, backups, or maintenance.

"Healthcare partners that can provide a high level of technical support, especially in this time-constrained industry, build customer and/or partner loyalty. In an environment where the availability of IT expertise is already stretched, purpose-built solutions that help resolve technical problems faster increase the usefulness and availability of critical systems and allow clinicians to focus on providing patient care," said Nick Keene, Citrix country manager.

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Citrix iForum Global 2006

Now in its ninth year, Citrix iForum is an annual IT knowledge exchange that brings together Citrix customers, resellers and partners from around the world. Citrix application delivery infrastructure is highlighted by 58 sessions, two-dozen customer presentations, partner ecosystem exhibits, technology labs, hands-on technical workshops, roundtable discussions and product demonstrations. Held at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida, from 22 to 25 October 2006, Citrix iForum 2006 features keynotes with Citrix executives including Mark Templeton, president and CEO. More information is available at http://www.citrixiforum.com.

Citrix

Citrix Systems, Inc is the global leader and the most trusted name in application delivery infrastructure. More than 180 000 organisations worldwide rely on Citrix to deliver any application to users anywhere with the best performance, highest security and lowest cost. Citrix customers include 100% of the Fortune 100 companies and 98% of the Fortune Global 500, as well as hundreds of thousands of small businesses and prosumers. Citrix has approximately 6 200 channel and alliance partners in more than 100 countries.

Editorial contacts

Jane Steinacker
Text 100 Public Relations
(011) 803 2800
janes@text100.co.za