Shorter waiting times for patients and improved workflow - excellent results when Sydvestjysk Hospital digitizes the radiology department.
Sydvestjysk Hospital in Ribe County in the southwest of Denmark is the first hospital in Denmark to implement both RIS and PACS at the same time. It consists of three facilities situated in Esbjerg, Grindsted and Brørup.
"The process of digitizing radiology started when we invested in Sectra PACS and Sectra RIS," says Christian Smith-Sivertsen, head of the Radiology Department at Sydvestjysk Hospital. "The goal to have the entire county working as a single virtual radiology department has now been reached."
By linking together the radiology units, it is now possible to refer patients to the most suitable facility.
"It used to be the facility in Esbjerg that carried out most examinations, meaning a huge workload at that site," says Head Radiographer Grete Vind Toy. "Now we are able to spread the workload more evenly. This means shorter waiting times for patients as well as utilizing the department's resources more efficiently. The workflow has definitely improved," Grete Vind Toy says. "We no longer have to transport images between the facilities. One click and the image is where you need it, when you need it".
At Sydvestjysk Hospital it is not just the speed and the efficiency of the workflow that has been improved. Another great advantage is the availability of high quality images all over the enterprise. "One example is the capability to display images on a big screen. This is very useful when training new doctors," Christian Smith-Sivertsen points out.
Jens Kring is the sales and marketing manager at Sectra in Denmark. He is very satisfied with the outcome of the project.
"Overall this has been a very successful project. We haven't had to compromise on either technical or organizational issues. The customer is happy with our products. Technology is being used to meet the needs of day-to-day operations at the hospital's radiology department," says Jens Kring.
The digitization project in Ribe is well in line with future plans for healthcare in Denmark. Counties will be fused into to larger regions and efficient networks are essential. Sectra RIS and PACS will help make working across county lines a reality.
