Last August, when the South African hospital group Medi-Clinic Corporation acquired Hirslanden, Switzerland's biggest private hospital group, the company not only took its first step into Europe, but progressed its strategy for the geographical expansion of its core business — acute medicine 'in conjunction with superior nursing care'.
Medical services About 90% of hospital income is generated in the 35 weekly working hours of regular day shifts. However, due to new work time regulations fewer and fewer physicians are available for these productive shifts and much of the work time is spent in the 133 working hours of the 'unproductive' night shifts.
Although incremental improvements in cancer care were unveiled at the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology held in Chicago, USA, — the world's largest gathering of cancer specialists, our correspondent Ian Mason writes that, even as new study results were being reported, their cost implications for stretched healthcare budgets were questioned.
The Swiss hospital system is facing a radical change. Billing by Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) is about to be introduced. European Hospital's correspondent in Switzerland, Dr André Weissen,* approached Dr Carlo Conti, President of SwissDRG AG to discuss some of the controversial issues involved in the switch to DRGs
The next pandemia will come - rather sooner than later. The respiratory protection of frontline staff is a major part of healthcare facilities' preparation. To assist hospitals, ECRI Institute and the International Association of Healthcare Safety and Security present the web conference "Respiratory Protection: Preparing for Pandemic Flu" on July 17, 2008.
It was a tough project but in the end the ministers of health of 53 countries - the WHO European Region - agreed on a groundbreaking paper on healthcare, committing themselves to concrete actions to fight the fact that many people have no easy and affordable access to quality healthcare. They will strengthen a system that will allow both their own people and the international community to hold…
The development of private medicine in Russia has reached a new level, according to Sergej Anoufriev, CEO of the St Petersburg Association of Clinics (set up by 13 private clinics two years ago). Private clinics have become a real part of the Russian healthcare system and people increasingly choose private medical services. However, the state and private organisations solve the same problems…
Cars, cranes, IT - leasing has become a very popular method of financing. And it is about to conquer the ICUs, ORs and imaging departments of hospitals and clinics. According to the association of German leasing companies (Bundesverband Deutscher Leasing-Unternehmen e.V.), in 2005 the leasing volume for medical technology increased by 20 percent compared to the prior year.
The hospital sector has recently been facing increased competition law scrutiny, in particular in Germany. During the last few years the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has made it clear on a number of occasions that mergers between hospitals (private as well as public-law hospitals) are just as much subject to competition law provisions as any other merger cases.
Although much has been done in the last three or four months, iSoft needs to become a stronger global organisation, Gary Cohen emphasised.
This June, the 10,000th Alphamaquet surgical table made by Maquet GmbH of Rastatt, Germany, will be delivered to the department of thoracic surgery at Barmherzigen Brüder Hospital, Regensburg, along with other Maquet medical technology on order.
The manufacture of reusable instruments needs stringent care to meet constantly increasing processing regulations and also ensure survival in repeated heavy use.
Among the major changes to operating theatres (OT) in recent years is the introduction of information technology (IT) equipment.
Apelem has launched the BACCARA dRF43 remote controlled table, featuring a fully digital two-in-one flat panel detector.
Self-service can cut patient services costs, says Anne Warner, who reports for the trade publication Kiosk Europe.
The TopClinica, an international trade fair and congress focused on medical equipment and solutions is a new event on the calendar.
The Chinese Association of Medical Equipment (CAME) and the European Healthcare Trade Association COCIR organized on 20th April 2008 the first round table during the China Medical Equipment Fair in Shenzhen with several members from their organizations as well as distinguished members of the China Association for Medical Devices Industry (CAMDI).
The medical travel industry has been sprouting the interest of healthcare providers ever so rapidly that some are classified as “swimmer who jumps into a pool without really checking out the temperature of the water”. What healthcare providers have to realize is that if they wish to be a part of the borderless endeavor, they have to prioritize on a globally acceptable structure to be pursued…
Over the past few years, hospitals in Germany have been faced with ever new challenges. However, the solutions offered so far are not sufficient. On the contrary - rather than solving problems, they tend to create new ones. A change of paradigm in the organisation of hospitals is imminent and hospitals have to change radically, argues Holger Richter
Approximately 150,000 surgical interventions are performed every year in the hospitals of Vienna. Efficient coordination of OR schedules in the individual clinics as well as the reduction of patient waiting times are therefore crucial objectives in successful hospital management.
From 2004 to 2007 VHitG (Verband der Hersteller von IT-Systemen im Gesundheitswesen) and Messe Frankfurt jointly organised ITeG (IT-Messe und Dialog im Gesundheitswesen). When VhitG moved the event to Berlin, this cooperation ended and Messe Berlin came on board as new partner for what is now called conhIT. The organisation team headed by Jens Naumann, VhitG chairman, developed an entirely new…
Intensive care units are associated with the best state-of-the-art technology and round-the-clock treatment from experts. However, patients who enter ICUs risk hospital acquired infections (HAI), which are not only very expensive to treat but also could kill them.
Health service budgets often cannot be stretched to buy a vital piece of equipment or new state-of-the-art department. However, by stimulating social consciousness money from the public can flood in - even enough to build an entire new hospital.
As healthcare IT becomes increasing technologically complex, well-designed partnerships with vendors and service companies may be the most efficient and cost-effective means by which to operate, Dr Thomas Geisinger, Global Manager for e-Health Integration of Agfa Healthcare in Mortsel, Belgium, told attendees at the Hospital Management Symposium.
