Birmingham Children’s extends Agfa ICIS

Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has implemented two additions to its Agfa Imaging Clinical Information System; the XERO Technology Viewer and IMPAX HeartStation ECG management system.

The XERO Technology Viewer will enable images from cardiology and radiology to be combined with patient demographics and accessed via the XERO browser.

Paul Jackson, Agfa Healthcare marketing manager, explained: “Users at the trust can now access images through a standard web browser.

“This can be on an iPad or, indeed, anywhere with a browser and internet connection. This means clinicians have access to all the information and imagery relating to the patient wherever needed. This opens up what PACS can do.”

The IMPAX HeartStation ECG management system enables the electronic management and processing of electronic electro-cardiograms, which can also now be viewed in full, at any time and in any location.

HeartStation can be used standalone, or fully integrated into the IMPAX picture archiving and communications system and radiology information system.

Kate Parkes, radiology clinical system manager at the trust, said the XERO Technology Viewer frees data from information silos and provides clinicians with a single point of access.

She added that this would improve communication and discussion across multidisciplinary teams, as well as with patients and their parents.

“The patient and family are more informed about their condition through discussion with their clinician, as there is access to the all information in the clinic or on the ward,” she said.

“There is more efficient use of our clinicians’ time, as all the information is available when it is needed, wherever it is needed, also meaning there is a reduction in the duplication of tasks.”

Furthermore, by using standard browser technology, no additional software is required. “Our clinicians are finding the ability to securely view XERO on iPads a very exciting and popular development,” Parkes added.

The trust refreshed its contract with Agfa in 2011, when its PACS contract came up for renewal. It added the Agfa Radiology Information System and the cardiology PACS at this time.

The trust was a finalist in the EHI Awards 2012 in association with BT for its work integrating endoscopy digital videos – recorded in a new, dedicated theatre during laparoscopic procedures – with its RIS and PACS, and making these available over the trust’s network so healthcare professionals could have access to image data during procedures.

Going forwards, the trust is keen to integrate ophthalmology, retinology, and neurosurgery into the clinical IT system.

It also wants to provide further ultrasound functionality, including images from outside radiology and cardiology departments, such as from emergency or the paediatric intensive care unit.

“All this multimedia information can be accessed through the new browser or in the PACS,” Jackson said.