The Impilo Consortium, of which Siemens Medical Solutions is a member, was recently appointed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health to equip, manage and run the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) for the next 15 years, in what is seen as a pioneering partnership between the public and the private sectors.
As part of this 15-year project, Siemed, a company formed between Siemens and Vulindlela Holdings, has turned IALCH into what it claims is the country's first filmless and paperless medical facility.
The project, which is based on experience Siemens has gained installing over 200 integrated filmless imaging networks across the globe, combines IT with medical imaging, monitoring and theatre equipment to create what Siemed calls a total hospital information service.
"Given the pressures placed on professionals who are already overburdened, the new system will also change the way medical practitioners work, freeing them up to perform their primary functions more effectively," says Barry White, MD of Siemens Medical Solutions.
"It will dramatically save time for hospital personnel, as there will be no more searching for the latest X-rays, scans or medical records, because the data are instantly available by logging on at any of the 1 200 PCs or the 125 radio-connected trolley-mounted notebooks located around the hospital."
He says that should a doctor or nurse need to access a patient's clinical data, all related information - such as medical history, allergies, dietary requirements and X-rays and scans - will be instantly accessible through a user-friendly, "point-and-click" screen menu.
"The immediate advantage of this is that medical staff can respond instantly in the event of an emergency by having immediate access to critical care records."
At the heart of the paperless/filmless network is the Siemens Syngo platform, an open systems user interface that has a high level of inter-connectivity across virtually all devices, irrespective of manufacturer.
Paper documents have been replaced with an electronic patient record, enabling medical staff to have instant access to the patient's test results and entire history, including X-ray films, laboratory results, medication information, ECG traces, as well as all the respective specialist reports that go with such examinations.
Patient demographic details are entered only once and can be recorded before referral so that the admission process is fast and efficient, while treatment details and medication history are added at the time of administration, which allows for accurate billing records.
"We have adopted a comprehensive training approach which will see a rapid growth of skills in the hands of local people. Our on-site service centre will provide uptime support as well as ongoing training and development of operators to create a broad-based team of multi-skilled technicians," says White.
White believes the unparalleled level of information integration greatly increases the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of medical facilities and personnel, resulting in optimal patient care and improved overall efficiency.
"At the end of the contract term, we will hand over a flagship for healthcare in SA, which incorporates leading-edge technology and is staffed by multi-skilled, highly experienced professionals," says White.
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