Health Care IT

Medical IT

to structure available date is a trend in medical IT – not to produce more (too much medical data, too little clinical insight)

Health Care Software

Use of open-source health software in day to day routine is risky for doctors, as often the medical software has no CE mark or FDA approval. Diagnostic results of the health care software must not be used for therapeutic decisions.

Telemedicine

Driven by the telecom sector, mobile health care – not only telemedicine – is technically becoming very easy. E.g. for patients with hypertension or diabetes, new technologies are available.

Medical Image Analysis

Medical Image Analysis has quite different aspects and segments. The Medical Image Analysis Software can analyze images and data from medical equipment like medical computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography (PET). It can be biological image analysis in lab as well. Technical aspects of Medical Image Analysis Software are computer vision, virtual reality and robotics or biomedical imaging problems to name some.

PACS, RIS

Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is a technology used in medical imaging in clinical settings especially storage and communication which provides for cost effective and manageable access to images. Together with radiology information systems (RIS), multiple sources such as X-ray plain film (PF), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography (PET) can be handled.

A key market challenge in PACS and RIS medical market is the challenge to integrate the applications for the radiologist as well as to integrate it with larger healthcare imaging and information solutions. This can include critical results notification workflow, broader patient health information and the display of related documents.

Therefore integration of radiology information systems (RIS) with picture archiving communication systems (PACS) is a trend in the European RIS market. As a result sales of RIS systems is expected to increase.

RIS, PACS and hospital information systems (HIS) are interdependent systems, but are not compatible in terms of the interfaces they use. While HIS and RIS use health level seven (HL7), PACS uses digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM).

However there is as well a certain specialization in imaging types [Cardiology PACS, Oncology PACS, Dental PACS

Another challenge for the PACS companies is to keep track of the legislative developments along with clinical and technological advancements so as to keep the product developments in synchronization with the latest market requirements.

PDMS, HIS

PDMS (Patient Data management Systems) try to improve fact based decision making. They should reduce error rate and thereby preventable complications. Challenge is to come from retrospective data analysis to predictive modelling.

Hospital Management Software with all the features of EHR, EMR & HMS are available in cloud as well as desktop version. In Germany cloud versions are difficult to sell because of protection of data privacy. Therefore purely web-based modular hospital management system which might covers financial, operational and clinical aspects of healthcare providers are not appreciated.

Practice management (PM) software

Practice management (PM) software runs the business side of healthcare, from scheduling patients to billing to generating monthly reports, so picking the right system is crucial for any size medical practice. Unlike with electronic health records (EHRs), selecting and overseeing a PM system isn’t typically the physician’s domain.

EPR (Electronic Patient Record)

EPR has still teething problems in there German health care market. It should streamline the amount from data between ambulatory and inpatient sector. In Germany there are:

• Inpatient ICD diagnosis                        36.000.000
• Private practitioner ICD diagnosis     1.500.000.000

Especially the private practitioners are not easily integrated.

The challenges seem more in the organization (personality) than in available data or financing.

Date Warehousing with Teradata

In Germany, the ITSG (Informationstechnische Servicestelle der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung), a daughter company of GKV-Spitzenverband (Head Organisation of cumpulsory health insurance) is using a Data Warehouse with Teradata.

Bigger players for Date Warehousing with Teradata either coming from the clinical (patient data) or

operational side, either medical IT infrastructure or health care business information

There is a relatively clear separation of the goals

• Improve clinical effectiveness of therapy and diagnostic process.
• Improve financial performance
• Improve operational effectiveness