Eye specialists SpaMedica have become the first independent healthcare provider to benefit from the new Choose and Book compliant IMS MAXIMS fully-hosted, software-as-a-service (SaaS) electronic patient administration and records system. The company, which has a hospital in Manchester, has been establishing satellite clinical facilities in the North West as part of its strategy to grow into a national concern. The SaaS solution is ideal for its needs because it allows SpaMedica to expand its NHS contracts to deliver patient services under the AQP (any qualified provider) scheme, and make services available via the Choose and Book national electronic referral service.
SpaMedica offers patient choice and treatment for a range of conditions including cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Its founder, consultant eye surgeon Anil Pitalia, says its ophthalmology business already distinguishes itself by offering the best and most advanced treatment, but wants every aspect of the patient experience to be of the highest possible standard.
He said: "SpaMedica provides world class treatment for NHS and private patients, but I want the whole patient experience to be of the highest standard. For that to happen I needed an established but innovative electronic patient system that would meet all our clinical and administrative requirements. I believe that MAXIMS can deliver this and revolutionise our service."
The SaaS option, which is rented so does not demand major initial investment, allows smaller independent providers to benefit from the same quality and levels of service as the larger, more costly PAS (patient administration systems) deployed in the largest and most modern hospitals. As the SaaS system can be constantly updated and improved by IMS MAXIMS, without interruption to users, it also has substantial advantages over a hospital-based PAS including flexibility and affordability. This combined with Choose and Book compliance, and the ability to meet the reporting requirements demanded of any healthcare provider seeking NHS contracts, makes it stand out from other software on the market.
The system is fully-hosted which eliminates the need for an in-house IT department. All data is fully and securely backed up on a series of remote servers, providing additional peace of mind around protection and security. As the MAXIMS SaaS option is rented and entirely web-based there is no need to buy additional costly infrastructure.
Leesa Ewing, IMS MAXIMS Business Development Director, said: "We want smaller independent providers to be able to compete on equal terms with the biggest in the business, and that's what our software-as-a-service option allows healthcare companies like SpaMedica to do. They can have a top quality electronic patient information system which handles everything from electronic choose and book referrals to activity reporting at a fraction of the cost of buying a clinical PAS. It will allow talented clinicians with innovative business ideas to offer their services to more and more NHS and private patients."
About Spa Medica
SpaMedica is an independent sector healthcare provider of medical and surgical eye services, helping thousands of patients a year in the North West of England. Its centres are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the surgeons are leaders in their fields. The company's aim is to provide the highest quality of care in a safe, convenient and comfortable location and to ensure patient satisfaction is always high.
About IMS MAXIMS
IMS MAXIMS specialises in developing clinical and administrative software solutions and currently supports more than 100 organisations and 10,000 users of IMS MAXIMS products.
MAXIMS gives clinicians the applications they need to provide the best possible patient care, and allows provider organisations to manage their patient administration with ease and efficiency. Rival products often tend to be administrative systems with clinical software added on. MAXIMS is equally focused on the needs of clinicians and provider organisations - which we believe is the way to guarantee the best patient outcomes with optimum efficiency.