Asklepios Kliniken Verwaltungsgesellschaft (AKV), which represents more than 50% of the turnover of the Asklepios group, the largest private hospital group in Germany, has chosen Agfa HealthCare's ORBIS as the standard hospital information system (HIS) for 43 clinics. In addition, all 43 clinics will use ORBIS RIS as their radiology information system of choice. The implementation of the project will start in 2014.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) is working with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to create the world's largest and most comprehensive clinical dataset on cancer patients by building cancer registries in developing nations. The effort will begin in Sub-Saharan Africa, where less than 1% of the region's population is covered by a cancer registry.

Northgate Public Services (Northgate) and Sollis have announced a successful deployment of the Sollis Clarity Patients solution with integrated Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACGs) across Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Swindon CCG, as a hosted service to over 100 GP practices across the areas.

By Val Dimmock, simulation and clinical skills facilitator at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
The key to delivering safe, high quality care is a knowledgeable, competent and confident workforce, yet the Francis Report shows that the NHS is struggling to ensure that staff develop and maintain the necessary skills. Val Dimmock, simulation and clinical skills facilitator at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says clinical skills leads must adopt a new approach to training, supported by innovative online learning tools.

Somatom Force - the new computer tomograph (CT) from Siemens - had its first public presentation worldwide at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany. In its first few weeks of clinical use at Mannheim's Institute for Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, the third generation of Dual Source computed tomography (CT scanners each with two radiation tubes and detectors) enabled considerably quicker and more precise diagnoses at reduced doses.

Biomax Informatics AG will invest nearly 1 million Euro over the next 4 years to transfer its successful systems medicine approach from respiratory and chronic diseases to mental health. The European Commission is co-financing this step with €650,000 as part of the METSY project. In the project, Biomax will provide the knowledge management platform and data integration for consortium partners from industry, research and clinics who are searching for associations between psychotic disorders, lipid metabolism and metabolism-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

HIMSS Europe has awarded seven new hospitals in Europe with Stage 6 Award during the fourth edition of HIMSS Europe CIO Summit, that took place in Madrid, Spain, from the 12th to 14th. Stage 6 & 7 hospitals provide best practices that other healthcare organizations can study as they strive to use EMR applications to improve patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient care delivery efficiency.