For a clinical institution to be successful, it is essential to obtain the highest possible diagnostic accuracy while maintaining a fast and efficient workflow. The 3D reading and advanced visualization software syngo.via enables clinicians to meet the respective requirements by automatically loading for example CT or MR images into the appropriate application and sorting them into the disease-specific corresponding layout. Manual work steps are eliminated and the clinician can start diagnosing immediately. Siemens designed the syngo.via efficiency study with regard to following questions: What are the time benefits of using syngo.via compared to other reading software for a specific set of images? And which qualitative aspects in the use of syngo.via improve the diagnostic reading process?

Six medical sites participated in the efficiency study which took account of a total number of seven different clinical workflows. To reflect their clinical routine, each participating site determined the case mix and measured 10 to 20 cases per workflow. The analysis of the study data revealed that the use of syngo.via can achieve time savings and patient-centric productivity gains in all of the observed workflows. For example, the observed average time savings from syngo.via for CT Cardiac amounted to 77 percent and for an Oncology Diagnosis with PET/CT to 45 percent. Using syngo.via when diagnosing Oncology and Neurology MR examinations resulted in 32 and 23 percent average time savings, respectively. Analysis of images for CT Vascular was 27 percent and image evaluation for PET/CT and CT Oncology Follow-Up 30 and 16 percent faster compared to a conventional advanced visualization or PACS workstation.

Additionally, Siemens conducted a usability survey among the study participants. They stated that syngo.via is performing better regarding the aspects data preparation, usability of viewing and measurement tools and documentation and reporting than the former software. "syngo.via is an excellent tool to increase the productivity of radiologists working on cardiac images," said Professor Gudrun Feuchtner from Innsbruck University Hospital in Austria, for example.

Launched by Siemens Healthcare Sector in November 2011, Agenda 2013 is a two-year global initiative to further strengthen the Healthcare Sector's innovative power and competitiveness. Specific measures will be implemented in four fields of action: Innovation, Competitiveness, Regional Footprint, and People Development.

The outcomes achieved by the Siemens customers during the syngo.via Efficiency Study were achieved in the customer's unique setting. Since there is no "typical" hospital and many variables exist (e.g. hospital size, case mix, level of IT adoption) please be aware that we cannot guarantee, warrant or represent that others will actually achieve the shown time savings and patient-centric productivity.

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About Siemens Healthcare
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source - from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 51,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2011 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 12.5 billion euros and profit of around 1.3 billion euros.