At The World of Health IT (WoHIT) Conference, Agfa HealthCare announces the findings of a recent study that the company commissioned from Accenture on the economic efficiency of ORBISâ¢, Agfa's comprehensive hospital-wide clinical information system. The study is a systematic comparison of process cost in the before-and-after analysis, which takes account of the actual investment and operating cost in a number of different sized German hospitals. The results provide a clear indication that IT can play a key role in the improvement of efficiency in the hospital sector. With its process support, ORBIS also facilitates the administrative tasks of both medical and nursing staff.
The study compares cost before and after the introduction of ORBIS in various process areas: planning and documentation of operations; planning and documentation of hospital care; order entry (using Laboratories as an example); radiology and the compilation of discharge summaries. It was shown that most economies were achieved through changes in processing times and the phasing out of paper forms. The study also found that the subsequent relocation of an activity, changes in its frequency, or even its complete abolition also have a significant cost-cutting effect. For example, the use of ORBIS produced cost savings of up to 30 percent and substantial savings in time in all stages of the compiling discharge summaries process. In the OT planning (operating theatre planning) and documentation process, average cost reductions of up to 22 percent were achieved, mainly through the use of standards. Increases in efficiency on a similar scale were attained in the other two process areas which were examined.
It was generally found that with ORBIS the process cost of, for example, each order, each discharge summary, each day of nursing care or each operation session could be trimmed by between one-fifth and one-third, depending on the type of activity. Based on a period of usage of ten years, the total of savings generated by using ORBIS in all of the process areas surveyed exceeded the investment and operating costs significantly. All of the ORBIS modules examined in the study showed a high return on investment, achieving break even within two to three years.
Dr. Andrea Fiumicelli, Executive Vice-President, Agfa HealthCare said "Hospital management today increasingly faces the challenge of bridging the gap between rising demands from patients and governments for improved healthcare and ever more limited resources. This study clearly confirms that ORBIS, Agfa HealthCare's hospital and clinical information system, can help hospitals significantly improve efficiency and productivity in several areas. Staff then have the possibility of spending more time on patient-oriented activities. The positive results of the study in Germany, which is one of the most demanding European healthcare environments, are very encouraging and increase our confidence as we introduce the ORBIS-solution to hospitals in other countries, who are no doubt as keen as their German counterparts to improve the service to care providers, to medical professionals and, ultimately, to patients."
At the World of Health IT (WoHIT) Conference, Oct. 10-13, Agfa HealthCare will be presenting to an international audience on October 12 a detailed report about the study as part of an ORBIS Product Tutorial.
Werner Vandevelde
Global MarCom Leader IT solutions HealthCare
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Walter Schäfer
Leitung Marketing und PR - GWI AG
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Johan Jacobs
Corporate Press Relations Manager
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