The GOSH NHS Trust, in London, has a world-wide reputation for the quality of its care. Its 315 doctors, and more than 1,000 nurses and other healthcare professionals, look after 22,000 inpatients and 77,000 outpatients a year. Many cases are complex, with 56 percent of patients requiring two or more specialists, and 9 percent more than five. The surgical teams carry out 10,600 scheduled and around 2,650 unscheduled operations a year.
John Campbell, the hospital’s Head of IT Projects, said: "The IMS MAXIMS web-based solution offers a number of advantages. From the clinician's point of view, it allows them to easily link the results of pathology tests back to the original message. In many cases the reason for the test being requested is fundamental to the interpretation of the result, so this is a very real need."
The current system for viewing radiology reports means that clinicians wanting to see results have to pull back images which takes time and may not be required In future they will be able to choose whether they need to see the images or not, which helps save time. The existing ordering system produces a paper request which then has to be re-input so the new system will cut out duplicate data entry and improve data quality as information about patient tests only needs to be input once. This will help the hospital laboratories maximise their efficiency.
The selection process included site visits to Manchester and the Royal Cornwall Hospital to see the IMS MAXIMS solutions in a live environment and talk to users about its effectiveness. Staff were also invited to demos and to comment on the system, so that adaptations could be made to ensure it suited their requirements.
Campbell said: "The system will be used by around 2,000 healthcare professionals and user acceptance is very important. We liked the IMS MAXIMS solution because it is easy to use and because the company was prepared to work with us to develop the system to meet our specialist needs."
It is planned that the system will be up and running in 2010 and IMS MAXIMS will be working with GOSH to identify ways of further developing the product - which will benefit future clients.
The Order Communications System has been developed to be highly functional and allows orders to be placed for any registered patient. The results of tests and investigations are viewable as part of the patient record. Among the many advantages is its flexibility, allowing authorised users to access the system, through a secure portal, from any location. It also reduces the risk of incorrect or insufficient information being provided. There can be cost savings as the system helps reduce the number of inappropriate or unnecessary tests.
Shane Tickell, IMS MAXIMS CEO, commented: "Having a world-class solution for handling test requests and results is essential in today's hospitals, but it has to be easy for healthcare professionals to use. Our Order Communications and Results Reporting solution is designed to meet these needs by being straightforward and efficient. At the same time, we recognise that no two healthcare environments are exactly the same, so we are always committed to work closely with clients to ensure our solutions are an exact match for their needs."
About IMS MAXIMS
IMS MAXIMS specialise in developing clinical and administrative software solutions and currently supports more than 100 organisations and 10,000 users with IMS MAXIMS products.
To find out more about IMS MAXIMS and its products visit the website at www.imsmaxims.com.
About Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital has the UK's largest unit treating children's brain tumours, carrying out 100 operations a year, and also performs around 600 child heart operations a year. The trust also has the most specialties for children under one roof of any British hospital.
To find out more about Great Ormond Street Hospital visit www.ich.ucl.ac.uk.