Three-Monitor Set-up and Context Server Integration: New Radiology Interface Standards Improve Workflow Efficiency and Diagnosis Quality

Belgian Imelda Hospital further expands IMPAX to Cardiology department

(RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ, March 15,2003 - The Imelda Hospital in Bonheiden, Belgium, will employ a three-monitor set-up as well as Patient Viewer and Context Server Integration functionality on all its radiologists workplaces. This configuration will enable radiologists to simultaneously visualise RIS data and PACS images from current as well as former studies by interlinking RIS and PACS. Radiologists at Imelda Hospital are enthusiastic about the ease of use of this advanced set-up that is expected to become the new standard in radiology interface.

Imelda Hospital, a 500-bed hospital near Mechelen, Belgium, had already installed Agfas IMPAX® PACS solution a couple of years ago, and Quadrat Qdoc RIS soon afterwards. Recently, it equipped two of its radiology workstations with three monitors at each workstation. With both new and historical images of the patient on screen (from IMPAX), together with the complete patients history record in the Patient Viewer (from RIS), radiologists can now easily conduct comparative exams between current and past studies. Through the installation of Context Server Integration, the RIS and PACS are bi-directionally interlinked in such a way that when scrolling through one application, the other automatically follows, immediately providing the corresponding information on screen.

Over 150,000 radiology exams per year are carried out at Imelda Hospital. This new set-up delivers significant benefits in workflow efficiency and time savings, contributing to a better quality of diagnosis and, ultimately, better patient care. Dr. Jan Schillebeeckx, Head of Medical Imaging at Imelda, is enthusiastic about this development and has decided to install this three-monitor set-up with Context Server Integration on all available radiology workstations.
Enhanced speech technology integration
Speech technology had already been integrated in Imeldas Quadrat RIS, so that correct study information is automatically uploaded by the RIS and dictated exams are automatically typed in the relevant fields. Speech technology has now been integrated in IMPAX as well, enhancing ease-of-use for the radiologists working with the system.
All this has completely changed our workflow," says Dr. Schillebeeckx. The quicker report turnaround time shortens patient waiting time and optimises the use of resources. For instance, at Imelda there is a shortage of beds. This advanced RIS/PACS integration contributes to reducing the average length of stay of our patients."
Cardiology
A new initiative at Imelda Hospital is the implementation of IMPAX for Cardiology. This fully integrated multi-modality solution allows cardiac specialists to simultaneously display echo, cath, IVUS, CT, MR, CR, RF, NM and patient reports. In the dynamic and demanding cardiac environment, IMPAX for Cardiology provides and integrates data from multiple systems at the point in the care chain where and when the data is needed. It optimises the cardiologists workflow to manage the complexity and requirements specific to clinical cardiology.

About Agfa
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world's leading imaging companies. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems, intended mainly for the graphics industry, healthcare, non-destructive testing, micrographics, motion picture and photography markets.

Agfa's headquarters are in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is active in 40 countries and has 120 agents throughout the world. Together they achieved a turnover of 4,911 million Euros in 2001. Product and company information can be found on Agfa's home page on the World Wide Web at: www.agfa.com.