InterSystems, a global leader in software for connected care, announced that Beckman Coulter, one of the world's leading manufacturers of clinical diagnostic equipment, is using InterSystems Ensemble® to improve the way samples are processed in hospital laboratories around the UK. Ensemble is a platform for the rapid integration and development of connectable applications. The new Automated Sample Receipting (ASR) solution was developed in less than six months and enables an end-to-end pathology service that is significantly more streamlined than current manual processes.
Early in 2012, in the pursuit of the highest quality balanced with cost efficiency in laboratory services, Beckman Coulter decided to create functionality within one of its sample processing systems that would eliminate the manual booking of samples. Following a review of several options including using its own technology, Beckman Coulter chose Ensemble to integrate the target data management systems with hospital laboratory information systems and order communications systems. As a result, samples can now be automatically recorded rather than requiring staff to scan individual sample barcodes manually.
Leanne Annereau, Marketing Manager at Beckman Coulter, said, "We are delighted to have partnered with InterSystems. We have been impressed by their collaborative approach, and the speed at which Ensemble enabled us to complete our product development - in less than six months from concept to delivery. From the start, we felt InterSystems had the right product and experience to make the project a success. We are now looking at other ways we can work together."
The ASR solution service provides a number of distinct benefits to hospitals and clinicians. By reducing labour-intensive steps within laboratory processes, Beckman Coulter estimate a single laboratory can now process about 3,000 tubes daily, which translates into significant time and cost savings over manual processes. In addition, the solution will improve the quality of results, since a significant proportion of pathology errors are related to the mishandling of samples or mismatching of patient information.
Jonathan Selby, Country Manager UK & Ireland at InterSystems, said, "We have built a strong partnership in a short time, and we are excited by the prospect of continuing our work supporting Beckman Coulter in their development of breakthrough solutions that simplify processes, improve accuracy, and reduce costs in biomedical testing."
Beckman Coulter estimates that the first pilot sites will be operational before the end of the year.
About InterSystems
InterSystems Corporation is a global leader in software for connected care, with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and offices in 25 countries. InterSystems Ensemble® is a platform for the rapid integration and the development of connectable applications. InterSystems HealthShare® is a strategic healthcare informatics platform for information exchange and analytics within a hospital network, and across a community, region or nation. InterSystems Caché® is the world's most widely used database system in clinical applications. InterSystems TrakCare™ is an Internet-based unified healthcare information system that rapidly delivers the benefits of an electronic patient record.
About Beckman Coulter
Beckman Coulter, Inc., based in Orange County, California, USA, develops, manufactures and markets products that simplify, automate and innovate complex biomedical tests. More than 275,000 Beckman Coulter systems operate in both diagnostics and life sciences laboratories on six continents. For more than 75 years, our products have been making a difference in peoples' lives by improving the productivity of medical professionals and scientists, supplying critical information for improving patient health and reducing the cost of care.