PiRiLiS Offers A Life Saving Time Saver

A modern Web-based link has replaced motorbike couriers weaving through busy London traffic to bring prompt expert advice on head injury from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neuroscience in Holborn to the accident and emergency unit at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.

ComMedica, the spin-off company from Imperial College, London, has set up an instant link between the two hospitals using its PiRiLiS clinical information technology.

Previous systems for sharing images electronically had proved unsatisfactory and St Mary’s had resorted to sending CT scan film across the city by bike, losing vital time in getting expert advice to treat head injured patients.

Dr Deborah Cunningham, consultant radiologist, said, ”The new PiRiLiS software means that the process for diagnosing and treating some of our most critically ill patients has been radically streamlined. From the CT scanning suite, the radiologist is able to send images within seconds to neuro specialists at the NHNN who can offer real time advice on the patient’s treatment at Mary’s or say whether they need to be transferred.

”The quality of the images is excellent too – the neurology experts are able to make tighter diagnoses through viewing the images using PiRiLiS.”

ComMedica’s chief executive, Mark Simon, says the development demonstrates how PiRiLiS can deliver real benefits.

”This is an important message at a moment when the NHS nationally is considering how to deliver 21st century IT systems in support of its transformation,” he added.