Portal solution deployed to save time, money and improve patient care and services

Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust’s has announced the go-live of its clinical portal across the trust. The portal will allow vital patient information, stored on a variety of systems, to be called up in a single view and in real-time reducing the length of clinic times and improving patient care and services.

The portal has been deployed across seven therapeutic areas including orthopaedics, cardiology, diabetes and haematology and is already providing clinicians with instant access to a range of patient data including test results, medical images and correspondence.

CSC has collaborated with Carefx, a subsidiary of Harris and leading interoperability platform provider, to deploy the portal. The organisations have worked closely with clinicians at the trust to tailor the portal to their requirements.

Chris Walker, trauma and orthopaedic consultant at the trust, said: “The portal gives clinicians an electronic patient record which provides us with a simple, clear and instant view of the essential information we need, on a single screen. This is already bringing benefits to both the patients and clinicians as it ensures we have access to the correct patient information when we need it, before, during and after a consultation or procedure. In addition, less time is wasted trying to sort through and decipher paper notes”.

“We are now able to assemble and present the information from the portal in a format that works for us, creating an interface which is clinician-friendly and highly flexible.”

The trust decided to deploy the clinical portal following a successful proof of concept (PoC) evaluation last year, which showed major benefits including an average reduction in the length of clinic times by 30 minutes, improved patient services, safety and savings in staff time and resources.  Following the PoC, clinicians were actively asking the trust’s IT department how quickly they could gain access to the portal to experience further benefits.

James Norman, the trust’s IT director, said: “The portal presents data from underlying systems, which the clinicians are familiar with, in an easy ‘iGoogle’ style format so training has been quick and simple and uptake by the clinicians has been astonishing.

“The proof of concept exceeded all expectations in terms of the availability, speed, performance of the portal as well as the quality of the data integrity and we are now beginning to see those benefits being realised across the trust.”

In addition to the clinical benefits, the portal has created a bridge between existing applications, which is enabling the trust to extend the life of existing systems that might otherwise need to be upgraded or replaced. The portal is currently supporting access to data from systems such as orders and results, x-rays, clinical letters, GP referral letters and pre-operative assessments, with more systems being integrated in the next phases.

Tony Bell, the trust’s CEO, said: “Never before has there been more focus on the importance of improving patient care while simultaneously making efficiency savings. The clinical portal is the keystone in helping lay solid foundations for the trust’s future creating an effective and efficient way to reduce costs and administration, while speeding up and increasing the throughput of patients and aiding service transformation.

“Not only has the portal allowed us to protect our existing IT investments but it has enabled us to align ourselves with the government’s interoperability agenda ensuring that our systems are future proofed.”

The organisations will continue to work collaboratively to extend the clinical portal to the wards, and emergency departments. In addition, the trust will provide limited access to the system for GPs to reduce delays in informing family doctors about any interventions to support the delivery of seamless care.

Ends

About Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust

The trust is among the largest hospital trusts in the north of England with an annual budget of over £400 million, and 5,600 directly contracted staff. In 2009-10 it saw 567,683 in its outpatient department, 88,000 emergency patients and 86,000 day case admissions. The trust provides general hospital services and emergency care to the local community including a full range of medical, surgical, diagnostic, rehabilitation and therapy services. These include several nationally and internationally recognised services such as ophthalmology, hepatobilliary, surgery, gastroenterology and pathology. It is one of the top 20 teaching trusts in the country. For further information visit www.rlbuht.nhs.uk

About CSC

CSC is a global leader in providing technology-enabled business solutions and services. Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., CSC has approximately 97,000 employees and reported revenue of $16.2 billion for the 12 months ended September 30, 2011. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.csc.com.

About Harris Corporation

Carefx is a subsidiary of Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $6 billion of annual revenue and about 17,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications^® products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at: www.harris.com.

Media Contacts

Leanne Wilson,
Media Communications Officer, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
Phone: +44 (0)151 7065584
leanne.wilson@rlbuht.nhs.uk  

Sarah Bruce, Highland Marketing
Phone: +44 (0)1877 332710
Mobile: +44 (0)7557 265473
sarahb@highland-marketing.com

Dublin, Ireland, 31st January 2012 – IMS MAXIMS, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading suppliers of clinical software solutions, has rolled out the latest version of their Irish patient administration system (PAS) across Ireland.

More than 50 healthcare organisations, including 12 acute hospitals, have made significant upgrades in order to meet national requirements and support advances announced by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to improve patient care.

The roll-out follows the introduction of the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS), which aims to make Ireland’s radiological services filmless and enable secure and rapid movement of patient image data throughout the health service.

The IMS MAXIMS software has been upgraded to support the interface to the national system, which is being deployed in all of the acute hospitals across the country.

Shane Tickell, chief executive of IMS MAXIMS, said: “One of the key objectives at IMS MAXIMS has been to support the HSE’s agenda to join up healthcare systems to improve the patient journey.

“MAXIMS Irish PAS holds more than 1.9 million records across the country, so it is imperative that we work with healthcare organisations to ensure that they are getting the very latest and fit for purpose functionality.”

In addition, several other advances have been made to IMS MAXIMS functionality to support recent HSE and hospital business requirements.

Outpatient functionality has been enhanced so that outpatient data quality and reporting for the Department of Health’s Special Delivery Unit (DoH SDU) is streamlined in order to allow hospitals to quickly and easily make statistical returns.

Meanwhile, IMS MAXIMS has upgraded the A&E facilities of the PAS to support the recording of performance indicators in A&E departments so that daily returns on activity levels can be directly made to the SDU.

Interfacing has also been extended to further integrate the PAS with key clinical systems, including the integration of oncology and endoscopy services in order to streamline patient information and improve care delivery.

Other developments include additional functionality to ensure that the recording and processing of the European Health Insurance Card information can be obtained in line with HSE requirements as well as the deployment of extending text-messaging technology for outpatient appointments.

Tickell added: “The last twelve months have seen a huge effort by the IMS MAXIMS team to ensure that our Irish PAS clients have the latest in cutting edge technology. The clients themselves have also worked extremely hard to keep pace with the deployments throughout the year.

“With the advances to the software, each of the organisations should feel that it is meeting HSE and SDU requirements on top of driving efficiency and improving patient care.”

About IMS MAXIMS

IMS MAXIMS is the company behind the widely-used MAXIMS clinical PAS. It is a specialist in developing clinical and administrative software solutions and currently supports more than 150 organisations, 1.9 million patient records in Ireland and 8 million patient records in the UK, as well as 10,000 users of IMS MAXIMS products.

To find out more about IMS MAXIMS and its products visit www.imsmaxims.com, email enquiries@imsmaxims.com or call UK +44 1908 588 800, Ireland +353 (0) 1 284 0555

Media Contacts
Sarah Bruce, Highland Marketing
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 332710
Mobile: +44 (0) 7557 265473
sarahb@highland-marketing.com

Dublin, Ireland 12th January 2012 – A new project is underway at Leopardstown Hospital which will help nurses and therapists to keep older people independent for longer. The MAXIMS clinical PAS has already proved a major success among nurses looking after the south Dublin hospital’s 170 plus residents – mostly people over 60 with a range of physical and mental health needs and requiring long-term care.

IMS MAXIMS is now working with staff to extend the system (by introducing the MAXIMS Scheduler alongside the existing MAXIMS Nursing module) so it can be used for the real-time monitoring and administration of the 275 patients a week who attend day hospitals. The in-patient solution will also be expanded so it can be used by allied health professionals (AHPs) and social care staff.

Gerard McEntee, Assistant Director of Nursing, said: “MAXIMS has been very popular with our nurses who care for older persons because it’s so easy to work with. When I demonstrated the system to allied health professionals they immediately asked to use it. At this point they were all given ‘read only’ access and very soon after they requested to have MAXIMS as their tool for clinical records.

“A central part of the project will be to introduce MAXIMS for our day hospitals where we provide a range of services, such as occupational and speech therapy and dietetics, for older persons. It will really support our staff in their work to keep people independent for longer, and living in their own homes which is where they want to be.”

At present much of the record-keeping completed by AHPs is paper-based, which may cause problems where handwriting is difficult to read. MAXIMS ensures that all relevant information is typed into each person’s record and will be easy for colleagues to read and understand.

The system, which is highly secure, will be accessible from any computer terminal in the hospital and will allow the same record to be accessed and updated by several authorised users at the same time. As MAXIMS is real-time, staff can be sure that they are working from up-to-date information. Broadening the range of staff with access to MAXIMS promotes better team working and more holistic care.

One of the benefits for the hospital is that MAXIMS is easy to roll out, and users require little training as it is highly intuitive. This makes it ideal for Leopardstown where two members of staff will manage and implement the project. It is hoped that the expanded system will be up and running by June 2012.

Shane Tickell, IMS MAXIMS CEO, said: “We have been working closely with Leopardstown Hospital for some time now and have been really impressed by its determination to provide the best possible care for older and sometimes very vulnerable people. Our objective is to support the work of its nurses and AHPs to enable older people to lead full and independent lives for as long as possible.

“By extending MAXIMS to the day hospitals, and giving wider staff access to the in-patient system, the hospital is able to provide more integrated services without the time delays and potential errors that come with paper-based systems. What’s especially rewarding about this new project is that we will be providing care staff with a solution they have seen, used, liked and asked for.”

Follow IMS MAXIMS www.twitter.com/imsmaxims

About IMS MAXIMS
IMS MAXIMS is the company behind the widely-used MAXIMS clinical PAS. It is a specialist in developing clinical and administrative software solutions and currently supports more than 150 organisations, 1.9 million patient records in Ireland and 8 million patient records in the UK, as well as 10,000 users of IMS MAXIMS products.

To find out more about IMS MAXIMS and its products visit http://www.imsmaxims.com/, email enquiries@imsmaxims.com or call +44 1908 588800.

Editors notes

• The MAXIMS Nursing module allows staff to record every interaction with a patient, starting with details of the initial screening and assessments made on admission. The system holds each person’s care plan and shows all the actions which have been taken, and need to be taken, to meet their needs. It encompasses the recommended Dublin Mid-Leinster Minimum Data Set and helps ensure compliance with HIQA (Health Information & Quality Authority) standards.
• MAXIMS Nursing was ideal for Leopardstown because in Ireland a care plan has to be started for every patient within 24 hours of admission and the system shows that this has been done. By providing a comprehensive record, MAXIMS allows the hospital to demonstrate the quality of care that is provided in each older person’s plan. The records also give a clear assessment of each person’s needs and abilities, and shows what has to be done meet their needs in a timely way.
• If a patient is moved elsewhere a printout can be provided so the next healthcare provider can see at a glance how they have been looked after and what needs they have.
• Leopardstown hospital was founded in 1917 to cater for soldiers disabled or wounded while serving with British forces, and still has a number of beds specifically for injured military personnel. These days it caters for older people requiring long-term, respite or day care. They are attended by around 130 nursing and care staff.

Media Contacts
Susan Venables, Highland Marketing
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 339922
Mobile: +44 (0) 7971 166936
Email: susanv@highland-marketing.com

Or

Sarah Bruce, Highland Marketing
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 339922
Mobile: ++44 (0)7557 265473
Email: sarahb@highland-marketing.com

Highlights:

• Portal built on Carefx technology and implemented in partnership with CSC
• Will deliver clinical efficiency and reduce the need for paper records
• Trust serves a population of more than 600,000 people

WATFORD UK/MELBOURNE, FL- December 12th, 2011 – Carefx, a leading provider of interoperable workflow solutions, today announced that Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has selected the Carefx solution suite to provide clinicians with access to patient data from multiple core systems through a single, integrated view.

The portal, which will be implemented in partnership with prime contractor iSOFT, a CSC company, is built on Carefx’s interoperability platform. It will present clinicians at the Royal Derby Hospital with a patient-centric view of the very latest real-time, clinical information, supporting decision-making, patient care and safety.

This builds on the strong relationship Carefx has with CSC to deliver portal solutions that meet the requirements of individual NHS trusts and national interoperability programmes.

Paul Regan, Head of EPR and IT Projects at Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said, “We already have a very comprehensive repository of clinical information using iSOFT’s i.CM system. Carefx technology will allow us to build on this by providing a more user-friendly display, collating patient information in a summary screen in the exact way that clinicians wish to see it.”

The decision to implement the portal is part of the Trust’s commitment to become ‘paper lite’ and to drive operational efficiency by improving the management of paper case notes throughout the trust.

Regan added, “The trust will take a phased approach to implementing the portal and will initially focus on providing an intuitive interface within the outpatient department in order to reduce the need for paper case notes enabling a much quicker and easier way to access information.”

The clinical portal will allow multidisciplinary teams to use the simple navigation so that information can be accessed efficiently and according to workflow.

Several portlets will display information including demographics, alerts, outpatient prescribed medications, orders and results, clinical correspondence and specialty based information. These web views will be seamlessly integrated with the native i.CM user interface allowing users to navigate straight to relevant areas, such as Lab Ordering, with a single click.

Wayne Parslow, European vice president and general manager at Carefx, a subsidiary of Harris Corporation said: “This contract is further proof that our portal solution is ideal for the needs of the NHS at this time. More trusts are turning to clinical portals to meet the needs of their frontline staff in order to provide better care for their patients.”

Adrian Stevens, managing director NEMEA, iSOFT a CSC company, said: “This demonstrates the potential value, to all iSOFT and CSC customers, of implementing our clinical portal solution to drive efficiency.

In healthcare solutions, Harris provides enterprise intelligence solutions and services for government and commercial customers – including systems integration, intelligent infrastructure, interoperability, imaging, and other IT solutions. A leader in federal healthcare IT integration, Harris products, systems and services improve healthcare outcomes by assuring that critical medical and benefits information is delivered with security and privacy to the right person, on the right device, at the point of care.

About Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Recognised by the Department of Health as a high performing trust (Care Quality Commission ratings 2009 – excellent for use of resources and excellent for quality of services), the trust serves a population of more than 600,000 people in and around southern Derbyshire with services focused on prevention and ‘wellbeing’, rather than simply treatment and cure.

The trust is one of the largest employers in the region with over 7,000 staff and has an annual budget of around £414million, with a proven track record of maintaining financial stability. The trust’s vision is to build on its achievements and reputation, ensuring that it remains one of the most highly respected and successful trusts in the country – Taking Pride in Caring.

The newly constructed Royal Derby Hospital, which was officially opened in April 2010 brings many additional benefits to the community it serves. With specialist services including state-of-the-art Intensive care facilities and enhanced services for stroke and cancer care, all provided at the same facility; helping the Trust achieve its objective of ‘putting patients at the heart of everything we do’.

About Carefx
Carefx, a subsidiary of Harris Corporation, supports healthcare organisations in achieving their vision of advancing the quality and safety of patient care delivery through its interoperable workflow and analytics solutions. Carefx streamlines and simplifies clinical and business workflow and connects care providers to the information they need – where, when, and how they need it. By managing care transitions and information gaps between diverse systems, departments and facilities, Carefx delivers crucial patient information with speed, efficiency and logic. Carefx supports more than 800 hospitals, health systems, and health information exchanges (HIEs) across North America, Europe and Asia.

For more information, visit http://www.carefx.com/, or contact Carefx at: +44 (0)1923 431 704 or by email at: info@carefx.com.

About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $6 billion of annual revenue and about 17,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at http://www.harris.com/.

Media contacts
Sarah Bruce, Highland Marketing on behalf of Carefx
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 339922
Mobile: ++44 (0)7557 265473
Email: sarahb@highland-marketing.com

CEO praised for strong leadership as company leaves court protection

Dublin, Ireland – 19th November 2011 – Leading healthcare IT supplier IMS MAXIMS has announced a major new investor, laying the foundations for future growth. Thomas Anderson, who has taken full ownership of the company, and CEO Shane Tickell, have now outlined their ambitions to build IMS MAXIMS into a substantial force in international healthcare IT.

Mr Anderson is best known for being the principal of the Empire Cinema Group. He also has a keen interest in both the IT and healthcare industries and this acquisition allows him to combine these.

Mr Anderson said: “IMS MAXIMS has proven software which enables clinicians in the UK and Ireland to deliver the best possible healthcare services to millions of patients.

“I have a passionate belief in Irish business and am convinced that IMS MAXIMS has the products, the vision, and the leadership to make a truly significant contribution to improving healthcare in Ireland, the UK, Europe and beyond. I look forward to working with Shane and his team in the years ahead and to IMS MAXIMS going from strength to strength.”

The news was announced at a hearing of the High Court in Dublin during which the company was declared to be financially sound and was released from a form of temporary protection, known as Examinership. IMS MAXIMS, which is headquartered in Dublin, was accepted into Examinership in August after its former parent company ran into difficulties. This provided the opportunity to find an investor to recapitalise and ensure the growth of the business.

Shane Tickell said: “Thanks to this new investment we are better placed than ever for growth and success. It’s excellent news for IMS MAXIMS and its customers that we have secured the backing of someone with Thomas Anderson’s business skills and commitment to Irish enterprise. He has a clear appreciation of the quality of our existing products and of the excellence of our R&D, which will allow us to expand by offering new advanced software solutions to clients in the public and independent sectors, at home and overseas.

“We conducted business as usual throughout the Examinership, which demonstrates the high levels of confidence our customers have in IMS MAXIMS and its products. In the last few weeks we have even announced a new series of options which give customers even more choice over how they access our clinical and administrative software. In the coming months we will make further announcements, underlining that this is a vibrant and energetic business with a huge amount to offer the world of healthcare.”

Mr Anderson’s investment will provide IMS MAXIMS with the necessary resources for further product improvements and reduced delivery times. The company will now be able to develop its medium and long-term strategy to expand its portfolio of products and services and establish a global presence.

Follow IMS MAXIMS www.twitter.com/imsmaxims

About IMS MAXIMS
IMS MAXIMS is the company behind the widely-used MAXIMS clinical PAS. It is a specialist in developing clinical and administrative software solutions and currently supports more than 150 organisations, 1.9 million patient records in Ireland and 8 million patient records in the UK, as well as 10,000 users of IMS MAXIMS products.

To find out more about IMS MAXIMS and its products visit http://www.imsmaxims.com/, email enquiries@imsmaxims.com or call +44 1908 588800.

About the MAXIMS clinical PAS
MAXIMS gives clinicians the applications they need to provide the best possible patient care, and allows provider organisations to manage their patient administration with ease and efficiency. Rival products often tend to be administrative systems with clinical software added on. MAXIMS is equally focused on the needs of clinicians and provider organisations – which we believe is the way to guarantee the best patient outcomes with optimum efficiency.

MAXIMS is at the heart of the clinical and administrative life of everything from large UK and Irish hospitals, to small specialist independent clinics. It gives patient data to clinicians in exactly the format they need, and allows it to be shared with colleagues and updated in real-time. MAXIMS suits any clinical specialism and is excellent for order communications and reporting. Medical and administrative records can be kept fully up to date, with the minimum of effort. MAXIMS is web-based so there is no need to install software on computers or invest in expensive extra hardware.

Media Contacts
Susan Venables, Highland Marketing
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 339922
Mobile: +44 (0) 7971 166936
Email: susanv@highland-marketing.com

Or

Sarah Bruce, Highland Marketing
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 339922
Mobile: ++44 (0)7557 265473
Email: sarahb@highland-marketing.com

Dublin, Ireland – 5^th December 2011 – Brenda Courtney, a former nurse and Fellow with the HRB Centre for Primary Care Research with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, received the IMS MAXIMS sponsored prize for delivering the best paper at the Healthcare Informatics Society of Ireland (HISI) annual conference and scientific symposium. Her paper ‘An investigation into the use of HL7 clinical document architecture as a standard for discharge summaries in Ireland’ proves how straightforward changes toIreland’s healthcare IT could significantly improve patient safety across the country.

The research highlighted the current disparate nature of computer systems used by many hospitals and primary care providers. It details how the lack of semantic interoperability prevents the sharing of information electronically, including electronic discharge summaries, resulting in primary care staff having to copy data across to their own computer systems. The paper’s findings have therefore focused on showing how GPs could have immediate access to an accurate electronic record explaining the condition, care and medication of any of their patients who are discharged from hospital.

Brenda Courtneysaid: “Research has shown that medication transcription errors can result in a significant risk to patient safety, a practice which occurs in GP practices. This problem can be solved through the introduction of a national set of standards to ensure that computer systems in the primary and acute sectors can share and interpret information electronically.

“This would enable GPs to instantly share accurate information on discharged patients, including what they have been prescribed and why. This is particularly important for patients with multimorbidity who require a range of medication. National standards for electronic document exchange would radically improve patient safety and save a great deal of time on administration.”

Years spent working in Irish hospitals means that Brenda looks at IT from the perspective of the clinician, and what they need to best-serve patients.

“As a nurse I learned to deal with things in very practical ways. I don’t think about IT in terms of what’s cool, but in terms of what is going to work for the users. And that’s why it is so important that hospitals and GPs can share patient records as easily as possible,” she said.

Brenda Courtney’s paper was drawn from the research for her master’s degree at Trinity College Dublin. It recommends thatIrelandadopts the internationally-recognised HL7 v3.0 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) standard for exchanging electronic discharge summaries inIreland. At present many organisations are using the earlier HL7 v2.0 standard.

“The approach I am recommending is similar to what happens in other countries. It’s tried and tested, easy to implement. It wouldn’t involve major changes to our computer network, but would have a very positive effect,” said Courtney.

As a leading Irish healthcare IT company IMS MAXIMS is dedicated to encouraging fresh ideas which can achieve practical benefits for patients and clinicians.

Shane Tickell, IMS MAXIMS CEO, said: “Brenda’s paper was very well received, and excellently researched. It reflects her deep interest in using IT to bring practical benefits for patients, and those working on the frontline of care. We are absolutely committed to encouraging new thinking on the way ahead for healthcare providers and this award is valuable because it encourages vigorous debate.”

The HISI conference was held on the 16th and 17th of November in the Stillorgan Park Hotel,Dublin. It featured a variety of prominent speakers from the Irish andUKhealthcare and IT sectors. Conference papers were delivered on a multitude of subjects showing how IT can improve health services.

Editor’s notes

About Brenda Courtney
A former nurse, Brenda Courtney was a specialist in paediatric and general nursing. She first became involved with computer projects while working as a theatre nurse at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin. A newfound fascination with IT resulted in her going to study computer applications in DCU where she qualified in 2001 with a first class honours degree. 

About HISI
The Healthcare Informatics Society of Ireland exists to:

• develop and disseminate knowledge of the use of informatics in healthcare
• promote research and education in healthcare informatics
• participate internationally with bodies of similar interests.

The HISI annual conference is recognised for providing a significant contribution to the development and understanding of information and its associated technologies in the delivery of healthcare. It is the focal point for those interested in healthcare informatics in Irelandto network with their peers and learn about the latest developments in healthcare ICT. To find out more visit www.hisi.ie/

About IMS MAXIMS
IMS MAXIMS is the company behind the widely-used MAXIMS clinical PAS. It is a specialist in developing clinical and administrative software solutions and currently supports more than 150 organisations, 1.9 million patient records in Irelandand 8 million patient records in the UK, as well as 10,000 users of IMS MAXIMS products. To find out more about IMS MAXIMS and its products visit www.imsmaxims.com, email enquiries@imsmaxims.com or call +44 1908 588800. 

About the MAXIMS clinical PAS
MAXIMS gives clinicians the applications they need to provide the best possible patient care, and allows provider organisations to manage their patient administration with ease and efficiency. Rival products often tend to be administrative systems with clinical software added on. MAXIMS is equally focused on the needs of clinicians and provider organisations – which we believe is the way to guarantee the best patient outcomes with optimum efficiency.

MAXIMS is at the heart of the clinical and administrative life of everything from large UKand Irish hospitals, to small specialist independent clinics. It gives patient data to clinicians in exactly the format they need, and allows it to be shared with colleagues and updated in real-time. MAXIMS suits any clinical specialism and is excellent for order communications and reporting. Medical and administrative records can be kept fully up to date, with the minimum of effort. MAXIMS is web-based so there is no need to install software on computers or invest in expensive extra hardware.

MAXIMS versatility
IMS MAXIMS’ offers a range of solutions catering for many needs. Among them is the eDischarge solution used by clients such as the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT). This electronically provides GPs with summary details of the patient’s condition, their treatment while in hospital, their discharge medication and any future care plan as soon as they are discharged.

Media Contacts
Susan Venables, HighlandMarketing
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 339922
Mobile: +44 (0) 7971 166936
susanv@highland-marketing.com

London, UK – 23^rd November 2011 – A new report calls on the Department of Health to strengthen its efforts to encourage data sharing in the NHS. Paul Cooper, IMS MAXIMS Head of Research, co-authored ‘We Should Talk: Interoperability and the NHS’, on behalf of Intellect, the trade association representing the UK’s IT, electronics and telecoms industries. The document scrutinises the effectiveness of the Interoperability Toolkit (ITK) – a set of standards and frameworks designed to help the NHS across England to connect IT systems with one another.

The report praises much about the ITK, especially its recognition that the greatest benefits can be achieved at a local level, and that some interoperability is better than none. It goes on to recommend that far more needs to be done to engage suppliers and says a major drive is needed to persuade many people within the NHS that interoperability is vital to the success of their organisations.

Paul Cooper said: “There is a huge problem in the NHS because many of the IT systems cannot talk to each other. This means that staff often can’t get access to the information they need. Clinicians can only do the best for patients if they have all the relevant information about their conditions, and hospitals can only deliver efficient services if they have the data to identify bottlenecks in their systems or areas of waste.

“An efficient healthcare system, which delivers the best for patients and makes effective use of resources, can only exist if data can be shared within and between organisations. The good news is that these problems can be overcome and that everyone within the healthcare IT sector accepts that interoperability is the way forward. But too many people in the NHS still see interoperability as a technical matter rather than something which allows them to do their jobs better.

“The ITK initiative must do more to persuade everyone from medical and nursing directors, to FDs and CEOs that this is a mission critical issue. Suppliers provide what trusts ask for, and interoperability will only get to the top of the agenda if it’s central to what the customer demands.”

The report also calls for closer and more productive links to be established between the DH, the NHS, Intellect and its members. For the ITK to be a success, it argues, there must be productive and collaborative engagement with suppliers.

We Should Talk: Interoperability and the NHS, was written by Paul Cooper of IMS MAXIMS and Martin Whittaker of the Touchstone Consultancy, both of whom are members of the Intellect Healthcare Council. It was published in September 2011 and can be downloaded at http://www.intellectuk.org/component/docman/doc_download/5564-we-should-talk-interoperability-and-the-nhs-sept-2011.

About IMS MAXIMS
IMS MAXIMS is the company behind the widely-used MAXIMS clinical PAS. It is a specialist in developing clinical and administrative software solutions and currently supports more than 100 organisations and 10,000 users of IMS MAXIMS products.

To find out more about IMS MAXIMS and its products visit www.imsmaxims.com, email enquiries@imsmaxims.com or call +44 1908 588800.

About the MAXIMS clinical PAS
MAXIMS gives clinicians the applications they need to provide the best possible patient care, and allows provider organisations to manage their patient administration with ease and efficiency. Rival products often tend to be administrative systems with clinical software added on. MAXIMS is equally focused on the needs of clinicians and provider organisations – which we believe is the way to guarantee the best patient outcomes with optimum efficiency.

Media Contacts
Susan Venables, Highland Marketing
Phone: +44 (0) 1877 339922
Mobile: +44 (0) 7971 166936
susanv@highland-marketing.com.

Clinical Solutions whole-heartedly supports the CCIO campaign. As a trusted provider of clinical decision support and clinical content products for healthcare professionals, we believe that it is imperative for senior clinicians to engage and lead health informatics projects and programmes.

Placing a clinician at board level in every Trust is a logical step; they have the expertise to understand the tools and systems needed to place the patient at the centre of care.  We are all aware of the barriers some technology projects have encountered over the years; placing a CCIO at the heart of every project will provide the leadership needed to steer these projects in the right direction.