New Service Designed to Increase Efficiency in Radiology Department

A new service enables healthcare providers to reduce unproductive time and potentially improve patient care.

At the European Congress of Radiology held in March 2009 in Vienna, Austria, Philips Healthcare (Best, The Netherlands) launched Philips Utilization Services to help healthcare providers offer enhanced patient care by targeting and reducing unproductive time in imaging departments.

Developed by Philips and based on its understanding of the complexities that hinder healthcare professionals from delivering patient-centered care, Philips Utilization Services enable clinicians and managers to make the best use of imaging technology. Philips' workflow experts analyze information on how imaging technology is utilized, such as the length of time scanners are idle, time between scans, and how long patient changeovers take. Using this information they help imaging departments develop and implement sustainable solutions that maximize the potential of a department's technology resources.

"By providing imaging departments with detailed usage information we're enabling them to become more time efficient, potentially resulting in better patient care and the ability to serve more patients with the same resources,” said Michiel Manuel, senior vice president and general manager for customer services, Global Sales & Service International, Philips Healthcare. "The data can be particularly valuable when deciding how and when to upgrade or transition to a new system.”

By providing details on how computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are used, it is possible to improve throughput. Philips Utilization Services' detailed and easy-to-interpret reports are automatically generated and updated daily. Philips Utilization Services can be used to enable hospitals to achieve quality improvements, streamline workflow, increase the number of patients scanned, reduce waiting lists, and optimize their return on investment.

Each usage report is accompanied by a comprehensive guide that explains the data and suggests steps or opportunities for improvement. Each of these "Companion Guides” was developed by experts in the area of departmental workflow and provides insights and suggestions as to how imaging departments can meet their clinical and business objectives. The service is only available on CT and MR devices manufactured by Philips.

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