Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of IT enabled clinical workflow and diagnostic imaging solutions, announces that the Lille Regional Teaching University hospital (CHRU) has chosen its IMPAX(TM) RIS solution for the first stage of its IRIS-project (Intégration du Réseau d'Images au Système d'information hospitalier), aimed at integrating the imaging network into the hospital's IT system. CHRU Lille is France's fourth largest Regional Teaching Hospital, caring for nearly 1 million patients annually. The project of about 1 million Euro comprises the implementation of the RIS-solution at two pilot sites and is planned to take place during the 3rd quarter of 2007. The project will cover fourteen radiology, nuclear medicine and functional testing units throughout all the CHRU departments. It was subsidized by the County Counsel of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and the European Union.
By the end of the project, which is expected to be completed in late 2008, nearly 500 multidisciplinary users will be involved, including doctors, X-ray technicians, lab technicians, medical secretaries, receptionists and supervisors. "We are changing the entire approach to imaging in CHRU with the aim of making it accessible to everyone, without constraints in terms of volume and availability. We were looking for a solution that could be scaled to meet our specific requirements while also providing strong capacities for integration," explains Marc Lejeune, Head of the IRIS Project and part of the DSIH (Direction du Système d'Information Hospitalier - Hospital IT Management) at Lille CHRU.
The IMPAX RIS solution speeds up the flow of information and improves traceability from electronic patient registration to overall statistical data, and will include report processing and distribution (voice technology). For patients, the solution will mean that the delivery of care can be improved and waiting times can be shortened. For prescribing doctors, the rapid and global access to information and medical reports allows for a more concise overview and also allows improvements in diagnostic efficiency. Data sharing also enables improvements in the levels of coordination and consultation among medical staff.
"Agfa HealthCare was the obvious choice for us because of the scope of its expertise in our field, and because it showed an in-depth understanding of all our requirements, as well as options for our non-radiology specific needs," stresses Marc Lejeune. "We embarked on two preliminary activities with them. The first activity is to provide assistance to identify the return on investment of a more productive medical and economic approach, after a working group had been set up. The second is to develop products that respond even more precisely to our specific needs and to facilitate their use by setting up a partnership in the future with the Agfa HealthCare R&D centre."
A number of French healthcare institutions of different sizes benefit from the functional width and user-friendliness of the Agfa HealthCare RIS solutions today, in particular the teaching hospitals of Nantes, Brest, Montpellier and Grenoble, to mention but a few. Agfa HealthCare has installed RIS/PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) solutions in over 1000 sites worldwide. "Agfa HealthCare continues to invest in the development of integrated and scaleable solutions, in line with healthcare institution needs, and is more active than ever in the field of medical data processing. We are pleased to be part of Lille CHRU's development in this field and to contribute to its authoritative position among French regional and teaching hospitals," concludes Hans Vandewyngaerde, director of Agfa HealthCare France & Benelux.
About the Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille
As the only teaching hospital in this region, Lille CHRU offers the 4 million inhabitants in the Nord-Pas de Calais region a regional platform for treatment and consultation for most of the medical, surgical and technical (imaging, biology, functional tests, information system) activities. The hospital develops state-of-the-art techniques, prioritizes research into new treatments and provides professional training. Lille CHRU has 2.904 beds available. With over 87.200 in-patients and 238.120 out-patients every year, Lille CHRU provides a range of short and long-term care, follow-up care and home medical care. Nearly 12.000 members of staff (including nearly 3.000 doctors) contribute to patient care.
About Agfa HealthCare
Agfa HealthCare, a member of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, is a leading provider of IT-enabled clinical workflow and image management solutions, and state-of-the-art systems for capturing, processing and printing images in hospitals and healthcare facilities. The company has over a century of experience in diagnostic imaging and has been a pioneer on the healthcare IT market since the early 1990s. Agfa HealthCare today employs 5,700 staff members, with sales offices and representatives in over 100 markets worldwide. Sales for Agfa HealthCare in 2006 were 1452 million Euro, accounting for 43% of total group sales.
For more info on Agfa please visit: www.agfa.com