Health Imaging & IT - May 2008 - (Page 45)

Sponsored by an educational grant from Siemens & EMC Corporation There is, however, a second factor contributing to the hospital’s dramatic improvement in turn-around time. syngo Suite features embedded voice recognition software. syngo Voice software fueled the transition from conventional dictation and transcription to voice recognition with self-editing. The time-consuming cycle of dictating, sending dictation to an offsite transcription service and reviewing reports has been replaced with a single streamlined process at Children’s. Radiologists create and self-edit their own reports, eliminating time and several steps. “syngo Voice is convenient, easy and efficient. We’ve seen the usual improvements in [report] turn-around time and gained additional efficiencies through the use of voice commands for common tasks like signing reports or changing the organization of a report,” explains Royal. Equally impressive, voice recognition cuts costs. “The software has paid for itself in three months,” shares Hamer. Looking ahead, the department anticipates a $175,000 reduction in radiology transcription costs in 2008. Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery Jerry Oakes, MD, stands in front of a 58-inch plasma HDTV in the Neurosurgery Conference room at Children’s that is regularly Improving efficiency and demonstrating cost-savused for surgical conferences. ings are critical in healthcare. Improving patient care and clinical service are equally important. The health system regularly taps into syngo Suite’s customizable features service. Plus, each waiting patient tied up a room. The impact to offer higher quality service. “Physicians know the radiology added up over the course of the day.” department is open. We can use syngo Suite to pull radiology syngo Suite provides a much-improved contrast to prior data and assist with difficult questions,” states Royal. For operations. “All images, even those that aren’t online, present example, radiologists can locate and track all tumors with neuin under a minute,” says Joseph. The new software also roblastomas, if needed. In addition, syngo Suite integrates with includes a number of functions that can improve clinicians’ radiology residents’ MData PDAs. Residents have immediate user experience, he says. The urologist—who often views access to results via the PDA, so the department no longer conimages on side-by-side PACS displays in the OR during surtends with time-consuming calls about normal chest x-rays. gery—uses flexible layout panels to sync CT images and simul“We can focus on the difficult questions and higher-level taneously roll through a pair of studies side by side. The funcneeds,” sums Royal. tion helps physicians pinpoint kidney stones or ureter defects. The SmartSelect tool optimizes functions for a single viewer’s needs. For example, if one user frequently uses magnification integration pays dividends across the enterprise or measurement tools, syngo Suite can be set to display comRadiology is an all-inclusive undertaking. To be truly successful monly used tools as appropriate. RIS/PACS must meet enterprise needs. Siemens syngo Suite fits Ultimately, the transition reinvented clinical image managethe bill. Chief of Pediatric Urology David Joseph, MD, is an ment across the enterprise. Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery Jerry ardent admirer. “I was sold the first time I tried it.” Oakes, MD, sums, “The benefits of syngo Suite run the gamut The technology has reinvented workflow and patient care in from improved patient care to expedited workflow and efficienthe hospital’s pediatric urology clinic, which is a solid consumcy. Previous studies are readily available and can be pulled from er of radiology services. (Sixty percent of patients arrive with the archive within seconds.” imaging studies in hand, either film or CD.) Consider a fairly representative case of a child with an ureteropelvic junction (UPJ), who presents to the clinic with 18 months of prior studThe transition under the microscope ies. Prior to syngo Suite, recalling prior images seemed to be a Lightening-fast image retrieval, shorter report turn-around circuitous process. “That had a tremendous impact on the clintime, six-figure cost savings and a higher level clinical service are ic. The family waited longer, which is less than ideal patient not overnight achievements. Generally, they accrue as part of a HealthImaging.com May 2008 | Health Imaging & IT 5 http://HealthImaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Imaging & IT - May 2008

Health Imaging & IT - May 2008 Contents On the Web The Enterprise News Update Convention Spotlight: SIIM 2008 Healthcare IT Salary Survey Survey Findings Inside the Transition to Next-Generation Image Management Blurring the Lines: Interfaced vs. Integrated RIS/PACS The Insider's Primer: Taming the Workflow Beast - Five Facilities Tell How Availability, Applications Drive New Archive Strategies Modality Review Managing Technology Inside Technology Reader's Resource Stat Sheet

Health Imaging & IT - May 2008

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