Ottawa, November 3, 2009 - The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is calling on the federal government to make investments in human capital, research and electronic health records to support Canada's recovery from recession.
"Canada needs a stable, seamless and responsive health care system to ensure that its workers and citizens remain healthy so our economy can keep moving toward recovery," Dr. Andrew Padmos, Royal College CEO, told members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on November 2 during pre-budget hearings.
A responsive health care system includes access to quality, diagnostic services in pathology and laboratory medicine; a focus on public health and pandemic preparedness; investments in chronic disease management; and the provision of services to address the needs of vulnerable populations, including Aboriginal Peoples.
Stable, high performing and sufficient specialty medical workforce is needed
"In 2008, the Health Council of Canada warned of health workforce burnout and continued public frustration with wait times, and the Standing Committee on Health said that Canada may be on the brink of a health human resources crisis. We appeal to the federal government to honour its 2008 election commitment to invest in new residency spots in teaching hospitals, which are desperately needed," said Danielle Fréchette, Director of Health Policy and Governance Support for the Royal College.
Research is fundamental to good health
"The Royal College shares concerns with citizens and Canadians that cuts to Canada's three granting councils are compromising Canada's ability to recruit and retain leading physiicans, scholars and scientists, whose discoveries help to ensure evidence-based quality care. Research investments have tangible benefits to our economy," stated Dr. Padmos.
Electronic medical records (EMR) are needed to maximize patient safety and service delivery efficiency.
"Specialty medicine is dependent on the exchange of patient data between all health practitioners. Canada lags behind other countries in the adoption of EMRs. There is need to ensure that we accelerate EMRs in order to maximize patient safety and the efficiency of our services," observed Mrs. Fréchette.
"While the economy has recently been top of mind, health care remains an urgent priority for many Canadians. Federal leadership is important to maintaining the high quality standards of patient care, to upholding equitable and timely access to health care services and ensuring patient safety," Dr. Padmos concluded.
The Royal College pre-budget brief is available at: rcpsc.medical.org/publicpolicy/brief_hoc_august09_e.pdf. For More Information Contact :
Karen McCarthy
Director, Communications and External Relations
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Telephone: (613) 260-4178
kmccarthy@royalcollege.ca
Monday, November 2, 2009
Canadian nursing organizations are recognized for their contribution to nursing excellence at the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI)
Toronto, November 3, 2009 - Canadian nursing organizations are recognized for their contribution to nursing excellence at the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) biennial conference in Indianapolis.The Practice Academe Innovation Collaboration award was presented to representatives of Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), the 21 Best Practice Spotlight organizations (BPSOs) and the joint RNAO/University of Ottawa (UO) Nursing Best Practice Research Unit (NBPRU). The inaugural award recognizes the significance and value of collaborative efforts between nursing practice and academia to improve the health of people internationally.
This exciting collaboration started 10 years ago when RNAO began leading the development, dissemination and evaluation of best practice guidelines (BPGs) to improve patient care.“What was once a dream is now a full fledge program serving nurses, their patients and service organizations,” said Doris Grinspun, RNAO’s executive director adding, “the association is thrilled to be recognized with such a prestigious award by STTI”.
As part of the program the NBPR Unit was established by the RNAO and the University of Ottawa to assess the impact of these guidelines on nursing practice, clinical and organizational outcomes. “Our collaboration is solid and meaningful” said NBPRU co-chair Barbara Davies adding, “together, we are advancing nursing knowledge and research in the area of best practice guidelines.” Irmajean Bajnok, director of the International Affairs and Best Practice Program stresses the importance of the BPSO’s as they are “critical partners of this collaborative. It is nurses and hospitals that bring these guidelines to life at the patient bedside. By using the guidelines they generate real impact on patient outcomes.”
To date this partnership has resulted in the development of 40 guidelines (clinical and healthy work environment), and others which are under development. They are available at no cost on the RNAO website. Many of the guidelines have been translated to French and other languages.Other implementation strategies include a network of over three thousand nurses from over 600 health care organizations who champion the implementation of best practice guidelines. The website also contains numerous toolkits, e-learning modules and PDA versions of the guidelines which are accessible to nurses from around the world.
The 21 BPSO’s are located in Ontario and include, Hôpital Charles LeMoyne, Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Niagara Health System, Royal Victoria Hospital, Saint Elizabeth Health Care University Health Network, VON Canada,West Park Healthcare Centre, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Community Care Access Centre HNHB, Extendicare York, Hamilton Health Sciences, The Hospitial for Sick Children, Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre , Niagara Region Public Health Department, The Ottawa Hospital , St. Joseph's Health Care, London, St. Joseph's Health Care, Hamilton. These BPSO’s continue as active members of the RNAO/BPSO/ UofOttawa collaborative.
RNAO’s ambitious Best Practice Guidelines Program, funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, was launched in 1999 to provide the best available evidence for patient care across a wide spectrum of health-care areas. The 40 guidelines developed to date are a substantive contribution towards building excellence in Ontario’s health-care system. They are available to nurses, other health care professionals and organizations across Canada and abroad. To learn more about RNAO’s Nursing Best Guidelines Program or to view these resources, please visit www.rnao.org/bestpractices.
The NBPRU is a unique collaboration between researchers and educators at the University of Ottawa and the RNAO. The Unit strives to bring the best knowledge to nursing and healthcare to enhance practice and improve health and system outcomes. The University of Ottawa is one of the largest nursing schools in Canada with 1500 students currently registered in several programs in English and French (BScN, Post-RN, Nurse-Practitioner, MScN, PhD). The School of Nursing has a PhD program in Nursing which was launched in the fall 2004. The NBPRU will contribute to the scholarship development in all programs and will help distinguish the University of Ottawa as a leading center in nursing research in Canada. For More Information Contact :
Suriya Veerappan
Media Relations Coordinator
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario
Work phone: 416-907-7956
Cell: 647-504-4008
Toll-free: 1-800-268-7199 ext.253
sveerappan@rnao.org
This exciting collaboration started 10 years ago when RNAO began leading the development, dissemination and evaluation of best practice guidelines (BPGs) to improve patient care.“What was once a dream is now a full fledge program serving nurses, their patients and service organizations,” said Doris Grinspun, RNAO’s executive director adding, “the association is thrilled to be recognized with such a prestigious award by STTI”.
As part of the program the NBPR Unit was established by the RNAO and the University of Ottawa to assess the impact of these guidelines on nursing practice, clinical and organizational outcomes. “Our collaboration is solid and meaningful” said NBPRU co-chair Barbara Davies adding, “together, we are advancing nursing knowledge and research in the area of best practice guidelines.” Irmajean Bajnok, director of the International Affairs and Best Practice Program stresses the importance of the BPSO’s as they are “critical partners of this collaborative. It is nurses and hospitals that bring these guidelines to life at the patient bedside. By using the guidelines they generate real impact on patient outcomes.”
To date this partnership has resulted in the development of 40 guidelines (clinical and healthy work environment), and others which are under development. They are available at no cost on the RNAO website. Many of the guidelines have been translated to French and other languages.Other implementation strategies include a network of over three thousand nurses from over 600 health care organizations who champion the implementation of best practice guidelines. The website also contains numerous toolkits, e-learning modules and PDA versions of the guidelines which are accessible to nurses from around the world.
The 21 BPSO’s are located in Ontario and include, Hôpital Charles LeMoyne, Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Niagara Health System, Royal Victoria Hospital, Saint Elizabeth Health Care University Health Network, VON Canada,West Park Healthcare Centre, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Community Care Access Centre HNHB, Extendicare York, Hamilton Health Sciences, The Hospitial for Sick Children, Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre , Niagara Region Public Health Department, The Ottawa Hospital , St. Joseph's Health Care, London, St. Joseph's Health Care, Hamilton. These BPSO’s continue as active members of the RNAO/BPSO/ UofOttawa collaborative.
RNAO’s ambitious Best Practice Guidelines Program, funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, was launched in 1999 to provide the best available evidence for patient care across a wide spectrum of health-care areas. The 40 guidelines developed to date are a substantive contribution towards building excellence in Ontario’s health-care system. They are available to nurses, other health care professionals and organizations across Canada and abroad. To learn more about RNAO’s Nursing Best Guidelines Program or to view these resources, please visit www.rnao.org/bestpractices.
The NBPRU is a unique collaboration between researchers and educators at the University of Ottawa and the RNAO. The Unit strives to bring the best knowledge to nursing and healthcare to enhance practice and improve health and system outcomes. The University of Ottawa is one of the largest nursing schools in Canada with 1500 students currently registered in several programs in English and French (BScN, Post-RN, Nurse-Practitioner, MScN, PhD). The School of Nursing has a PhD program in Nursing which was launched in the fall 2004. The NBPRU will contribute to the scholarship development in all programs and will help distinguish the University of Ottawa as a leading center in nursing research in Canada. For More Information Contact :
Suriya Veerappan
Media Relations Coordinator
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario
Work phone: 416-907-7956
Cell: 647-504-4008
Toll-free: 1-800-268-7199 ext.253
sveerappan@rnao.org
CLINICARE Achieves CMS v3.0 Certification in Ontario
CALGARY, October 27, 2009 – CLINICARE Corporation, Canada’s leading provider of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Practice Management Applications (PMA), is pleased to announce that it has passed conformance testing requirements set forth by OntarioMD and is “CMS Specification 3.0 Certified” as of August 2009 for local installs to physicians in Ontario. Eligible physicians who purchase CLINICARE may receive funding under the Physician IT Program.
About CLINICARE
About OntarioMD
A Clinical Management System (CMS) is a software application that combines the clinical and administrative aspects of practice management into an integrated electronic record. The CMS encompasses and manages many aspects of practice management and patient care - from appointment scheduling and billing to clinical encounter notes, medications, test results and a cumulative patient profile. Standards for CMS solutions have been developed through the Physician IT Program to ensure that the solutions adopted by physicians meet or exceed specific functionality and performance standards.[1]
According to Karim Kanji, President of CLINICARE, “Our continued commitment to the EMR market is reflected in the investments we have made in Ontario and other Provinces. We are excited to be CMS 3.0 compliant and look forward to expanding upon our very successful client base in the Province moving forward”
CLINICARE has already established itself as a national leader in providing electronic health solutions based around its EMR software, interface development, and is at the forefront of electronic prescription deployment. CLINICARE will be working with OntarioMD on an ongoing basis to provide the functionality needed to participate in initiatives that may be considered in the future such as MOHLTC General Requirements (additional Chronic Disease Management Programs, Allied Health Professional Access and Reporting, Family Health Team Program delivery evaluations, E-Prescribing etc.), eHealth System Interfaces (OMD Hospital Report and other standardized Interfaces, Disease Registries, Drug Information Systems, Public Health Reporting Systems, Standardized Reporting Interfaces) and Client Registration for Family Practitioners as well as for Specialists.
To find out more about CLINICARE, visit us at www.clinicare.com or contact our Sales and Marketing department at 1-800-563-0579.
About CLINICARE
CLINICARE Corporation (www.clinicare.com) has specialized in software development for the ambulatory physician market since 1984. CLINICARE is Canada’s leading provider of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Practice Management Applications (PMA). CLINICARE’s EMR has been rated as one of the Top 3 EMRs in North America for the past 6 consecutive years by the prestigious IT consulting firm - KLAS Enterprises. CLINICARE has also been recognized in recent years by the Canadian Health Informatics Association by being bestowed the “Company of the Year”, “Corporate Citizen of the Year” and “Healthcare Transformation of the Year” Awards. CLINICARE is the only vendor to have received this recognition. CLINICARE has branch offices in the United States and Canada, with its Head Office in Calgary, Alberta.
About OntarioMD
OntarioMD also has a Transition Support Program (TSP) to assist physicians in their acquisition, implementation and adoption of a CMS solution. For more information, please go to the TSP section under the CMS/EMR Services menu
Monday, October 19, 2009
Satisfaction with Staff Scheduling Software Varies Widely Among Hospital Departments
New KLAS report looks at the differing needs of nursing, finance and IT when choosing a solution
OREM, Utah – Sept. 22, 2009 – When it comes to hospital staff scheduling software, customer satisfaction varies widely among finance, IT and nursing departments, sometimes producing a departmental battle over which needs are given priority.
In its latest study, Staff Scheduling: Nurses Rock the Boat, research firm KLAS found a significant gap between the vendor solutions favored by nurses and other stakeholders. With an eye toward usability and solid functionality, nurses rated RES-Q Labor Resource Management and McKesson ANSOS One-Staff as top solutions, with Kronos Workforce Scheduler earning the lowest rating from that group. Finance and human resources professionals, however, rated Kronos a full 13 points higher on KLAS’ 100-point scale based on strong reporting capabilities and anticipated cost savings.
“CNOs want a staff scheduling solution that’s easy to manage and easy to use; CIOs want strong integration and support; and CFOs want to improve the bottom line,” said Jared Peterson, KLAS vice president of operations and author of the staff scheduling report. “Those differing needs play to the strengths of different vendors, which often make the task of selecting a staff scheduling solution a very difficult one."
“Overall, however, feedback from nursing proved to be the biggest differentiator in choosing a product, because nurses’ high user demands and strong opinions helped some vendors while sorely hurting others,” Peterson said.
The KLAS report notes that in the past three years, there has been a significant increase in the number of sites live with staff scheduling, but staff scheduling technology has still only penetrated 40 percent of the market. However, the pressure to adopt is mounting. The national economy, ever-slimming profit margins, and heavy labor costs are encouraging organizations to improve their use of resources through enhanced staff-scheduling automation.
When combining the feedback across all hospital departments, RES-Q was the top-rated staff scheduling vendor, with a performance score of 86.5 out of 100. AtStaff was the next highest-rated product vendor (83.6) followed closely by McKesson (83.3). API, Kronos and Lawson are also referenced in the KLAS report.
While their performance scores remain strong, some providers did note that RES-Q and AtStaff do not yet offer enterprise solutions. API, Kronos, McKesson and Lawson now boast complete enterprise workforce management suites, including time and attendance, scheduling, HR and analytics. Only RES-Q and AtStaff do not offer time and attendance and HR.
To learn more about the staff scheduling software market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Staff Scheduling: Nurses Rock the Boat is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.
OREM, Utah – Sept. 22, 2009 – When it comes to hospital staff scheduling software, customer satisfaction varies widely among finance, IT and nursing departments, sometimes producing a departmental battle over which needs are given priority.
In its latest study, Staff Scheduling: Nurses Rock the Boat, research firm KLAS found a significant gap between the vendor solutions favored by nurses and other stakeholders. With an eye toward usability and solid functionality, nurses rated RES-Q Labor Resource Management and McKesson ANSOS One-Staff as top solutions, with Kronos Workforce Scheduler earning the lowest rating from that group. Finance and human resources professionals, however, rated Kronos a full 13 points higher on KLAS’ 100-point scale based on strong reporting capabilities and anticipated cost savings.
“CNOs want a staff scheduling solution that’s easy to manage and easy to use; CIOs want strong integration and support; and CFOs want to improve the bottom line,” said Jared Peterson, KLAS vice president of operations and author of the staff scheduling report. “Those differing needs play to the strengths of different vendors, which often make the task of selecting a staff scheduling solution a very difficult one."
“Overall, however, feedback from nursing proved to be the biggest differentiator in choosing a product, because nurses’ high user demands and strong opinions helped some vendors while sorely hurting others,” Peterson said.
The KLAS report notes that in the past three years, there has been a significant increase in the number of sites live with staff scheduling, but staff scheduling technology has still only penetrated 40 percent of the market. However, the pressure to adopt is mounting. The national economy, ever-slimming profit margins, and heavy labor costs are encouraging organizations to improve their use of resources through enhanced staff-scheduling automation.
When combining the feedback across all hospital departments, RES-Q was the top-rated staff scheduling vendor, with a performance score of 86.5 out of 100. AtStaff was the next highest-rated product vendor (83.6) followed closely by McKesson (83.3). API, Kronos and Lawson are also referenced in the KLAS report.
While their performance scores remain strong, some providers did note that RES-Q and AtStaff do not yet offer enterprise solutions. API, Kronos, McKesson and Lawson now boast complete enterprise workforce management suites, including time and attendance, scheduling, HR and analytics. Only RES-Q and AtStaff do not offer time and attendance and HR.
To learn more about the staff scheduling software market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Staff Scheduling: Nurses Rock the Boat is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Quebec the First Province to Use IBM Digital Medical Images Solution
QUEBEC CITY, Quebec and MARKHAM, Ontario, Sept. 28 /CNW/ -- The Agence de la sante et des services sociaux de Montreal has signed a five-year, C$3.6 million deal with Artefact Informatique, the health division of LGS Group Inc., an IBM (NYSE: IBM) company - the first of its kind in Canada - to build a registry for digital medical images based on the Canada-wide Cross-enterprise Document Sharing (XDS) standard.
With the new tool, Quebec physicians will have quick electronic access to the millions of X-rays, MRIs and other medical images stored annually in three secure digital imaging repositories across the province.
"The registry will enable Quebec family doctors to better serve their patients," said Raymond Carrier, project manager, ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux du Quebec. "Medical professionals can search for, access and view digital images from their offices, regardless of where or how originals are stored. This is the final step that will lead to a comprehensive medical imaging domain solution as part of the Quebec EHR plan."
To use the tool, doctors will access IBM's Cross-enterprise Document Sharing Integration (XDS-I) registry to view a list of all images on file for their patient. By clicking on an item, the IBM solution will provide a link or point to wherever the images are stored, in one of three digital imaging repositories the province maintains.
Radiologists will also be able to share the workload by gaining access to remote images. This will accelerate diagnosis in regions where radiologists are in short supply.
The new registry is expected to be available in 2010. Currently, family physicians in Quebec have no electronic access to digital images for their patients, and instead must source the physical X-ray or image itself directly from the radiologist - images that can go missing in transit or not arrive at all.
The registry conforms to the XDS-I Profile being promoted by Canada Health Infoway. Since it is based on open industry standards, it is compatible with other Electronic Health Record (EHR) components. Using open standards for EHR will allow for quicker integration and adoption of a system that will ultimately lead to better decision-making for clinicians and better healthcare for patients.
"Quebec is the first province to adopt the XDS-I standard as a province-wide solution for medical images," said Louise Beauchesne, executive regional director for Canada Health Infoway, Quebec region. "It is the goal of Canada Health Infoway to ensure that secure, remote access to electronic health records leads to better healthcare for Canadians."
Last year, IBM announced the creation of a Centre of Excellence at Artefact Informatique to facilitate the sharing of critical medical documents between physicians, clinics and hospitals.
"IBM Canada has worldwide responsibility for the development and support of this industry-leading registry that is being implemented in the Province of Quebec," said Barry Burk, vice president, Healthcare Industry, IBM Canada. "Under Diane Bouchard's leadership, the Artefact Informatique team is deploying this solution which will enable better access to information and improved patient care."
As the exclusive global provider of the solution, Artefact Informatique, a division of LGS Group Inc., an IBM company, is responsible for the evolution of the product as well as the customization, support and integration services. In collaboration with IBM researchers, Artefact Informatique developed the tool that is the core of this IT solution chosen by the Quebec government.
For more information about the ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux, please visit www.msss.gouv.qc.ca
For more information about the Agence de la sante et des services sociaux de Montreal, please visit www.santemontreal.qc.ca.
For more information about IBM Healthcare, visit www.ibm.com/industries/healthcare.
Media Contacts:
Mike Boden Daniele Frechette
IBM Media Relations Dossier de sante du Quebec
416-478-7117 514-597-2058 #5965
mboden@ca.ibm.com Danielle.Frechette@msss.gouv.qc.ca
For further information: Mike Boden of IBM Media Relations, +1-416-478-7117, mboden@ca.ibm.com or Daniele Frechette of Dossier de sante du Quebec, +1-514-597-2058 #5965, Danielle.Frechette@msss.gouv.qc.ca Web Site: http://www.ibm.com
With the new tool, Quebec physicians will have quick electronic access to the millions of X-rays, MRIs and other medical images stored annually in three secure digital imaging repositories across the province.
"The registry will enable Quebec family doctors to better serve their patients," said Raymond Carrier, project manager, ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux du Quebec. "Medical professionals can search for, access and view digital images from their offices, regardless of where or how originals are stored. This is the final step that will lead to a comprehensive medical imaging domain solution as part of the Quebec EHR plan."
To use the tool, doctors will access IBM's Cross-enterprise Document Sharing Integration (XDS-I) registry to view a list of all images on file for their patient. By clicking on an item, the IBM solution will provide a link or point to wherever the images are stored, in one of three digital imaging repositories the province maintains.
Radiologists will also be able to share the workload by gaining access to remote images. This will accelerate diagnosis in regions where radiologists are in short supply.
The new registry is expected to be available in 2010. Currently, family physicians in Quebec have no electronic access to digital images for their patients, and instead must source the physical X-ray or image itself directly from the radiologist - images that can go missing in transit or not arrive at all.
The registry conforms to the XDS-I Profile being promoted by Canada Health Infoway. Since it is based on open industry standards, it is compatible with other Electronic Health Record (EHR) components. Using open standards for EHR will allow for quicker integration and adoption of a system that will ultimately lead to better decision-making for clinicians and better healthcare for patients.
"Quebec is the first province to adopt the XDS-I standard as a province-wide solution for medical images," said Louise Beauchesne, executive regional director for Canada Health Infoway, Quebec region. "It is the goal of Canada Health Infoway to ensure that secure, remote access to electronic health records leads to better healthcare for Canadians."
Last year, IBM announced the creation of a Centre of Excellence at Artefact Informatique to facilitate the sharing of critical medical documents between physicians, clinics and hospitals.
"IBM Canada has worldwide responsibility for the development and support of this industry-leading registry that is being implemented in the Province of Quebec," said Barry Burk, vice president, Healthcare Industry, IBM Canada. "Under Diane Bouchard's leadership, the Artefact Informatique team is deploying this solution which will enable better access to information and improved patient care."
As the exclusive global provider of the solution, Artefact Informatique, a division of LGS Group Inc., an IBM company, is responsible for the evolution of the product as well as the customization, support and integration services. In collaboration with IBM researchers, Artefact Informatique developed the tool that is the core of this IT solution chosen by the Quebec government.
For more information about the ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux, please visit www.msss.gouv.qc.ca
For more information about the Agence de la sante et des services sociaux de Montreal, please visit www.santemontreal.qc.ca.
For more information about IBM Healthcare, visit www.ibm.com/industries/healthcare.
Media Contacts:
Mike Boden Daniele Frechette
IBM Media Relations Dossier de sante du Quebec
416-478-7117 514-597-2058 #5965
mboden@ca.ibm.com Danielle.Frechette@msss.gouv.qc.ca
For further information: Mike Boden of IBM Media Relations, +1-416-478-7117, mboden@ca.ibm.com or Daniele Frechette of Dossier de sante du Quebec, +1-514-597-2058 #5965, Danielle.Frechette@msss.gouv.qc.ca Web Site: http://www.ibm.com
Monday, September 14, 2009
The ‘Big 3’ – GE, Philips and Siemens – continue to enjoy provider loyalty
But other vendors and new innovations are shaking up the imaging market
OREM, Utah – Sept. 9, 2009 – While a third of healthcare providers plan to continue a freeze on all imaging equipment purchases in the midst of a tough economy, many more are once again looking to buy, with magnetic resonance (MR) equipment topping the list of planned purchases.
Modality buying decisions are the subject of a new report from KLAS, titled Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win? For the study, KLAS interviewed 147 healthcare provider organizations to find out which imaging vendors they’re considering in a variety of categories.
The report notes that providers most frequently mentioned MR systems as a planned purchase over the next 24 months; and Siemens and Toshiba are generating the most buzz in that market thanks to the success of their wide-bore MR equipment.
“Providers have gravitated to wide-bore MR systems for their high-quality imaging plus the increased comfort they offer claustrophobic and bariatric patients,” said Kirk Ising, KLAS research director for medical imaging and medical equipment and author of the new report. “Siemens and Toshiba have clearly set the pace in that arena, while GE and Philips have actually lost business because of their lack of wide-bore MR offerings.”
After MR, respondents most frequently mentioned purchase plans for ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), digital mammography, and then digital x-ray (DR).
In the CT market, GE maintains the lead in mindshare, with 68 percent of providers planning to include the vendor in their purchase decisions. The next most-considered vendor was Siemens, followed by Toshiba and Philips. Toshiba’s position in the CT market has been boosted by the introduction of its Aquilion ONE CT, which has gotten the attention of some research-heavy hospitals that typically disregarded Toshiba in the past.
Another intriguing market segment is digital x-ray. While GE, Siemens and Philips remain the top three vendors in provider mindshare in DR, Carestream is also turning heads with the introduction of its DRX-1 product, a cassette-sized wireless detector. “Many providers indicated they would consider Carestream in DR buying decisions because of the DRX-1,” Ising said.
Taken together, GE, Siemens and Philips garnered the most mentions from providers across the six market segments highlighted in Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win?, maintaining the “Big 3” of imaging equipment status that has earned all three companies significant loyalty among providers. Despite this strong position, however, the KLAS report also mentions that companies like Shimadzu and Toshiba, along with Carestream, FUJIFILM and Konica Minolta, have been attracting some clients away from the top vendors because of solid technology and outstanding service.
Vendors profiled in the new KLAS report include Agfa, Carestream, FUJIFILM, GE, Hitachi, Hologic, Konica Minolta, Philips, Siemens and Toshiba.
To learn more about the medical imaging equipment market, as well as healthcare provider perceptions about leading vendors, the report Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win? is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.
OREM, Utah – Sept. 9, 2009 – While a third of healthcare providers plan to continue a freeze on all imaging equipment purchases in the midst of a tough economy, many more are once again looking to buy, with magnetic resonance (MR) equipment topping the list of planned purchases.
Modality buying decisions are the subject of a new report from KLAS, titled Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win? For the study, KLAS interviewed 147 healthcare provider organizations to find out which imaging vendors they’re considering in a variety of categories.
The report notes that providers most frequently mentioned MR systems as a planned purchase over the next 24 months; and Siemens and Toshiba are generating the most buzz in that market thanks to the success of their wide-bore MR equipment.
“Providers have gravitated to wide-bore MR systems for their high-quality imaging plus the increased comfort they offer claustrophobic and bariatric patients,” said Kirk Ising, KLAS research director for medical imaging and medical equipment and author of the new report. “Siemens and Toshiba have clearly set the pace in that arena, while GE and Philips have actually lost business because of their lack of wide-bore MR offerings.”
After MR, respondents most frequently mentioned purchase plans for ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), digital mammography, and then digital x-ray (DR).
In the CT market, GE maintains the lead in mindshare, with 68 percent of providers planning to include the vendor in their purchase decisions. The next most-considered vendor was Siemens, followed by Toshiba and Philips. Toshiba’s position in the CT market has been boosted by the introduction of its Aquilion ONE CT, which has gotten the attention of some research-heavy hospitals that typically disregarded Toshiba in the past.
Another intriguing market segment is digital x-ray. While GE, Siemens and Philips remain the top three vendors in provider mindshare in DR, Carestream is also turning heads with the introduction of its DRX-1 product, a cassette-sized wireless detector. “Many providers indicated they would consider Carestream in DR buying decisions because of the DRX-1,” Ising said.
Taken together, GE, Siemens and Philips garnered the most mentions from providers across the six market segments highlighted in Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win?, maintaining the “Big 3” of imaging equipment status that has earned all three companies significant loyalty among providers. Despite this strong position, however, the KLAS report also mentions that companies like Shimadzu and Toshiba, along with Carestream, FUJIFILM and Konica Minolta, have been attracting some clients away from the top vendors because of solid technology and outstanding service.
Vendors profiled in the new KLAS report include Agfa, Carestream, FUJIFILM, GE, Hitachi, Hologic, Konica Minolta, Philips, Siemens and Toshiba.
To learn more about the medical imaging equipment market, as well as healthcare provider perceptions about leading vendors, the report Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win? is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hospitals Want to Avoid Getting ‘Locked In’ as They Consider Enterprise Imaging Solutions
New KLAS report explores which vendors providers are considering most for enterprise imaging
OREM, Utah – July 27, 2009 – Many hospitals are considering new vendor-neutral solutions for archiving and accessing medical images in order to avoid being locked in to closed, proprietary software, according to a new report from KLAS.
In Enterprise Imaging: A Vendor Reality Check, KLAS examines the enterprise imaging (EI) market – which aims to deliver access to medical images across hospital departments – and explores the vendor solutions healthcare providers are considering most. The study found that while many providers are looking to their picture archiving and communication system (PACS) vendor as a likely EI partner, they also recognize the potential pitfalls of getting locked into a proprietary solution that may not translate well from one department to another.
“Traditional PACS vendors like Philips, GE, McKesson and FUJIFILM were frequently mentioned by providers as likely candidates for an EI solution,” said Ben Brown, general manager of imaging informatics for KLAS and author of the new EI report. “But those same providers were also adamant that they want to own their image data and not leave it hostage to the PACS vendor.
“A number of hospitals are beginning to take ownership of their medical images by building PACS-neutral archives and storage management layers,” Brown said. “This approach allows the PACS to simply become a physician-friendly viewing and interaction layer that can be upgraded or replaced without the typically painful migration.”
Outside of PACS, many providers also referenced storage and archive solution vendors, such as EMC, IBM and HP, as potential EI partners. Each of those companies has partnered with middleware vendors – EMC with Acuo and IBM and HP with Bycast – to deliver vendor-neutral archive products that federate data from DICOM application or storage layers. Similar solutions from DeJarnette and TeraMedica also enjoy some mindshare with providers. In addition, as the amount of imaging data being archived continues to grow, some providers have looked to outsource their archive and image management to companies like GE, InSite One and Philips.
In total, Philips was the most frequently mentioned EI vendor, followed by GE, McKesson, EMC, FUJIFILM, Agfa, IBM, Siemens, AMICAS (Emageon) and HP. Philips, in particular, poses interesting questions for providers. As the vendor most frequently associated with enterprise imaging, Philips owns tremendous mindshare in the imaging space, offering widely deployed solutions in PACS, cardiology PACS and other areas. At the same time, Philips had the highest number of clients report the possibility of replacing its cardiology solution, and the company’s cardiology strategy has been criticized for being somewhat confusing and fragmented.
The KLAS report notes that while radiology, nuclear medicine and cardiology enjoy significant adoption of digital imaging management, other departments such as oncology, endoscopy and pathology are still fairly immature in their use of the technology. Among those, digital pathology brings with it a number of unique challenges, including enormous data sets that can adversely affect image distribution and transfer speeds. Some industry experts estimate that pathology images represent a larger data volume than all other imaging specialties combined.
To learn more about the enterprise imaging market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Enterprise Imaging: A Vendor Reality Check is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Health Information Technology Extension Program: Regional Centers Cooperative Agreement Program
September 3, 2009
Health Information Technology Extension Program: Regional Centers Cooperative Agreement Program Update
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is pleased to announce the availability of materials that are of immediate interest and use to stakeholders and potential applicants for the Health Information Technology Extension Program: Regional Centers Cooperative Agreement Program, and that are new or updated since the August 27, 2009 technical assistance telephone and web conference.
REVISED – Preliminary Application Template (Attachment I to the Funding Opportunity Announcement): As discussed on the August 27th technical assistance public conference, the suggested template for applicants’ use in compiling and presenting the information required for the Preliminary Application has been updated to include the complete requirements established in the funding opportunity announcement and is now available from www.grants.gov and the Extension Program section of ONC’s website at http://healthit.hhs.gov/extensionprogram.
NEW – A complete transcript of the August 27th technical assistance conference is available for download from the Extension Program section of ONC’s website. Please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/extensionprogram to access detailed information about the conference, including the transcript and the presentation slides used during the call.
NEW/REVISED – Program-specific Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are now available on the Extension Program section of ONC’s website. New FAQs are posted frequently, so potential applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to visit often. Please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/extensionprogram then scroll down and click on “Frequently Asked Questions”.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Meaningful Use Pushes Physician Adoption to the Top of Community Hospital IT Requirements
OREM, Utah – Aug. 25, 2009 – Unlike past purchase decisions where cost and resource requirements dominated, community hospital executives now consider physician adoption the number-one criterion when purchasing a hospital information system (HIS) solution, according to a report from KLAS.
In Disruption in Community HIS Purchases: It’s All About Physician Adoption, KLAS interviewed 64 community hospitals with fewer than 200 beds that were planning to purchase an HIS. The report found that, in light of new meaningful use requirements, many community hospital executives are now considering more complex – and often more costly – IT solutions, which many providers perceive as supporting greater clinician adoption.
“The ARRA is driving the emphasis on physician adoption,” said Paul Pitcher, KLAS research director and author of the community HIS report. “Meaningful use requirements are forcing buyers to focus on this issue rather than cost and infrastructure, which were the much more significant criteria in the past.”
Meditech still dominates provider mindshare for HIS solutions, with McKesson also gaining significant traction recently. Meditech continues to leverage its reputation as a low-cost, integrated solution, with 70 percent of providers including Meditech in their selection process. McKesson Paragon was the next most-considered solution, with 48 percent of providers planning to include Paragon in their due diligence. However, the focus on physician adoption is also bringing a new group of vendors into purchasing discussions.
“Cerner, Eclipsys, Epic and Siemens Soarian are at the table more frequently due to a perceived higher potential for clinician adoption,” Pitcher said. Of those vendors, Cerner was mentioned by 30 percent of respondents as a solution they would consider, followed by Eclipsys and Epic at 16 percent each, and then Siemens Soarian at 8 percent.
The consideration of these traditional large hospital solutions in community HIS purchases has also been spurred by the shrinking opportunity for new sales among large organizations. The KLAS report notes that, while 95 percent of hospitals with more than 200 beds have already chosen their clinical information system, many more new buying decisions are occurring among smaller organizations. In effect, the community hospital market is the new battleground.
Other vendors highlighted in the KLAS report include CPSI, Healthland, HMS, Keane and QuadraMed.
To learn more about the community HIS market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Disruption in Community HIS Purchases: It’s All About Physician Adoption is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Clinical Information System (CIS) vendors that prospective buyers plan to purchase from
KLAS recently published research identifying the Clinical Information System (CIS) vendors that prospective buyers plan to purchase from, which other vendors would be considered in the process...
Clinical information systems (CIS) continue to be at the forefront of healthcare information technology, especially among the more complex acute care hospital market. All the major HIT vendors are vying for the provider organizations that have yet to choose a core clinical strategy, as well as those organizations that are looking to replace either outdated or unsatisfactory systems.
KLAS recently published research identifying the vendors that prospective buyers plan to purchase from, as well as which other vendors would be considered in the process. The majority of survey respondents for this study were CIOs. Researchers asked about perceived strengths and weaknesses of vendor systems and what drivers were involved in vendor selection. The goal of this fifth perception study for clinical information systems was to see where the movement was.
Because this was a perception study, vendors did not receive performance-based rankings. Each vendor has positives and negatives, and each vendor’s approach to development may ultimately determine their success or failure. The top three reasons providers mentioned for replacing their CIS were Flexibility/Function, Vendor Commitment/Delivery, and Integration with Ambulatory.
Researchers spoke with healthcare providers to uncover which vendors would be considered, provider purchasing plans, which vendors to avoid, and provider perception scoring. Purchasing plans in this report were a combination of both first-time buyers and those looking to replace. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said that delivery was a main reason to avoid a vendor. KLAS found that twenty-nine percent of those that already have a CIS are looking to purchase.
In 2001, KLAS began monitoring the CIS market. Follow-up studies were conducted in 2003, 2004, 2006, and now in 2008. The 2001 study began with 10 most considered vendors, but not all of them have survived. Vendors qualifying for inclusion in this CIS study are Cerner, Eclipsys, Epic, GE, McKesson, Meditech, QuadraMed, and Siemens.
For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.
# # #
Clinical information systems (CIS) continue to be at the forefront of healthcare information technology, especially among the more complex acute care hospital market. All the major HIT vendors are vying for the provider organizations that have yet to choose a core clinical strategy, as well as those organizations that are looking to replace either outdated or unsatisfactory systems.
KLAS recently published research identifying the vendors that prospective buyers plan to purchase from, as well as which other vendors would be considered in the process. The majority of survey respondents for this study were CIOs. Researchers asked about perceived strengths and weaknesses of vendor systems and what drivers were involved in vendor selection. The goal of this fifth perception study for clinical information systems was to see where the movement was.
Because this was a perception study, vendors did not receive performance-based rankings. Each vendor has positives and negatives, and each vendor’s approach to development may ultimately determine their success or failure. The top three reasons providers mentioned for replacing their CIS were Flexibility/Function, Vendor Commitment/Delivery, and Integration with Ambulatory.
Researchers spoke with healthcare providers to uncover which vendors would be considered, provider purchasing plans, which vendors to avoid, and provider perception scoring. Purchasing plans in this report were a combination of both first-time buyers and those looking to replace. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said that delivery was a main reason to avoid a vendor. KLAS found that twenty-nine percent of those that already have a CIS are looking to purchase.
In 2001, KLAS began monitoring the CIS market. Follow-up studies were conducted in 2003, 2004, 2006, and now in 2008. The 2001 study began with 10 most considered vendors, but not all of them have survived. Vendors qualifying for inclusion in this CIS study are Cerner, Eclipsys, Epic, GE, McKesson, Meditech, QuadraMed, and Siemens.
For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.
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Friday, August 21, 2009
HITECH Priority Grants Program Rollout
News on Next Steps Toward Nationwide Health Information Exchange
A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Today’s announcement from the White House regarding the rollout of the first two in a series of HITECH priority grant programs represents a critical step forward in laying the groundwork for meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). These programs will offer valuable help to health care providers in the selection and incorporation of EHRs into clinical practice, and for States and their designates to assure that statewide information exchange is developed with an eye toward nationwide connectivity across the health care system.
It’s no coincidence that these two grant programs are leading the way. Key to the successful adoption and meaningful use of EHRs is the assurance that providers have the help and guidance they need to select, implement and maintain a certified EHR system. In addition, we need the various and often disparate local, statewide and regional systems to work together, regardless of location and differing state and federal standards or policies, to enhance patient care.
Toward that end, the first grant program, the Health Information Technology Extension Program, will fund dozens of Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers across the country. The regional extension centers will offer hospitals and clinicians hands-on technical assistance to support meaningful use of certified EHR systems. These modern health IT centers could be considered as somewhat akin to the agricultural extension centers Congress set up early in the 20th century, which helped to support vast improvements in the efficiency, quality and productivity of the agricultural sector.
We hope this 21st century health IT extension program will have a similarly profound effect in helping health care providers through a major transition in our nation’s health system, ultimately improving the quality, efficiency, reliability, availability and equity of care for every American.
A national Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC) will also be created. The HITRC will help the regional centers collaborate with each other, and it will serve as a national clearinghouse to identify and share best practices and experiences so that providers can learn from what others have gone through as they’ve put such systems in place.
The second grant program will help States and Qualified State Designated Entities (SDEs) to develop or align the necessary policies, procedures and network systems to assist electronic information exchange within and across states, and ultimately throughout the health care system. A key to this program’s overall success will be technical, legal and financial support for information exchanges across health care providers.
Together, the grants will offer much-needed local and regional assistance and technical support to providers while enabling coordination and alignment within and among states, ultimately allowing information to follow patients anywhere within the health care system. They are a clear sign that the Administration is delivering on its promise to transform care.
As we push hard to make EHRs available to all Americans, and the use of electronic health information part of an expected standard of care, we also are intensely focused on ensuring the privacy and security of patient records. If we want to achieve nationwide use of EHRs, patients first and foremost must be assured and have confidence that their electronic personal health information is private, secure and safe. The technology to secure this information exists, and is constantly improving through advances in encryption and de-identification of data. The protection of all health information is absolutely central to all of our efforts in support of electronic health information exchange.
To learn more about the HITECH priority grants program and application requirements, please visit our website, http://healthit.hhs.gov/HITECHgrants. For other health it information, please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov.
I look forward to providing you with more updates on our progress, and to continued interactions with all the communities that have so much to gain from this profound transformation.
Sincerely,
David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P.
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.
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