OPHTHALMOLOGY
Following 12 years of development, German surgeons and technicians have successfully implanted the world's first vision prosthesis in six blind patients.
Economy
Re-inventing the hospital
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
Cardiology 'must be evidence-based' says ACC
Ian Mason reports from Chicago
Strengthening portfolios and customer relationships
After Agfa split its core business units to form three legal entities under the Agfa-Gevaert Group, in January this year, Christian Reinaudo became President of Agfa HealthCare. Speaking with European Hospital representative Gabriela Eriksen, he explained the implications of the business split and future aims for the division he now heads.
International consolidation
Although much has been done in the last three or four months, iSoft needs to become a stronger global organisation, Gary Cohen emphasised.
The modern laboratory information and management system
Germany - Managing a lab for out- and in-patient care involves not only mastering increasing pressures in terms of efficiency and cost-optimisation, but also being au courant with ever evolving clinical issues and state-of-the-art lab technology and procedures.
TopClinica
The TopClinica, an international trade fair and congress focused on medical equipment and solutions is a new event on the calendar.
The global Research and Development Centre for Life Science
Olympus, which recently opened the global Research and Development Centre for Life Science in Munich, will invest around euro 15m in this project.
Vienna: New IT system reduces surgery waiting times
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.
conhIT: The future place to be for healthcare IT providers?
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…
Fundraising
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.
Outsourcing, co-operation or centralisation
The complete takeover of hospital laboratories through private laboratory service providers is rapidly changing the nature of German laboratories. Taking a closer look at these developments, it becomes apparent that several trends are developing.
Russia: New cardiology centre signals better healthcare
One of the most painful problems of modern Russia is the high death rate, especially among able-bodied people. In 2005, the average life expectancy for men was 58.8 years.
Philips and Ascent Profit sign contract to deliver digital radiography systems to China
Shanghai, China — Royal Philips Electronics and Ascent Profit, a leading Chinese medical equipment wholesaler, today announced that they have signed a €25 million contract to bring digital radiography systems to hospitals in China.
Outsourcing IT Technology Management: Winning Opportunity for Hospitals and Vendors
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.
Apply Proven Ideas from Industry to Hospital Management, Recommends Siemens Healthcare Executive.
“P to the power of 3” was the formula that Siemens used to make the global corporation profitable and competitive again after a troublesome period in the 1990's. Britta Fünfstück, head of business development/strategy at Siemens Healthcare, told attendees at the Hospital Management Symposium that this formula represents a commitment to People working in a high performance culture, Process,…
Financing State-of-the-Art Technology
Hospitals concerned about the accuracy of utilization predictions of new diagnostic imaging equipment will be interested in pay-per-use financing that is being offered by global vendors. Eric-Jan Rutten, General Manager of Professional Healthcare Solutions of Philips Healthcare International in Eindhoven, Netherlands, described the approach that Philips takes with both large and very small…
Building a New Hospital in Spain on Schedule and within Budget
Luis Barcia Albacar, Director General of Torrevieja Salud UTE Hospital in Torrevieja, Spain, shared his experience of building a new hospital within budget and opening on schedule in October 2006 with all services operational. Located on the east coast of Spain, the 220-bed hospital was built to accommodate a full-time population of 213,000, but also needed to be able to service the surge of…
Where Are Our Inpatients Now? — A $23,000,000 Opportunity for Cost-Savings
Martin Bledsoe described a dilemma at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. As Chief Administrator for the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, overseeing a staff of 1,000 FTEs, he does not know precisely where any of the 900 in-patients his department may need to image on any given day may be. He is not alone in his dilemma. With the exception of 0700 when patients are…
Updating of Healthcare Infrastructure a High Priority for Russia
For the past eight years, Russia has been implementing a nationwide infrastructure update of its healthcare facilities. In addition to building new specialized medical centers and equipping them with state-of-technology medical equipment, it is implementing a new model for healthcare payment and scrambling to train all levels of healthcare professionals.
Finland Near Completion of National Electronic Patient Record
A national electronic patient records (EPR) archive that is estimated to manage 550 pentabytes (PB) of data by 2025 is nearing completion in Finland. Its first component, an ePrescription system, is scheduled for implementation in June 2008. The patient record archive will be activated in February 2009, and DICOM diagnostic images will be added to it in the June 2009 time frame.
Importance of strategic partnerships
The healthcare system is in a phase of transition - from planned economy to free market economy. Establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships is a crucial component of any ciable strategy in future business, explained Harald W Bachleitner, Managing Director of Initiative Gesundheitswirtschaft in Berlin, Germany, at the Hospital Management Symposium.
Fibroid Embolisation: So Promising for Women, So Unavailable in Europe
Uterine fibroids are the most common form of benign pelvic tumor, with about 30-50% of women between the ages of 35-45 years reporting them. Although many women are asymptomatic, those who experience the symptoms of bladder pressure, frequent and very heavy menstrual periods, and uterine pain, have a reduced quality of life.
Volumetric X-ray provides depth information about structure of interest
A new volumetric X-ray application, showcased at the European Congress of Radiology in Vienna, Austria, provides physicians with multiple high-resolution slice images of the human anatomy, including the chest, abdomen, extemities and spine.
Primovist shows positive results
Bayer Schering Pharma presented the latest data from a health-economic evaluation of Primovist in the diagnosis of liver metastases. The results indicate that MRI using the liver-cell-specific contrast medium can lead to cost savings due to improved surgical treatment planning and less need for changes during operations.
