Milton Keynes Hospital gets results from turn-key solution provider for PCs :: PublicTechnology.net :: e-Government & public sector IT news + job vacancies:

Looking to streamline diagnostic services, the NHS has undertaken a ten year nation-wide project called the Picture Archiving & Communications System (PACS). This is designed to move all NHS hospitals from wet film processing to computerised digital technology for all images, from x-rays, ultrasound MRI scans through to photos of burns and ulcers. It is an ambitious project which aims to increase efficiencies in hospitals, reduce storage space for recording the images whilst reducing costs at the same times.

Milton Keynes General Hospital is part of this PACS project. It undertakes over 120,000 examinations a year, generating half a million images which must be recorded. In just over two years, Milton Keynes hospital will have generated three terabytes worth of images.

Milton Keynes hospital needed a strategic partner who could pull together the various elements of the solution to support its move to digital imaging. The radiography department, responsible for the project, worked with the hospital’s IT department to review the market.

John Greenwood, senior 1 radiographer – PACS expert user, at Milton Keynes hospital, says: “When we looked at our requirements, we realised there were several criteria which needed to be fulfilled. We wanted high performing desktops that would not be redundant in six months, so future proofing was important. We needed high resolution monitors to meet the minimum required two mega-pixel standard for accurate diagnosis. Of course, we needed a cost-effective solution which worked within our budgets and was able to meet tight timescales. Dell was the only supplier that was able to take care of all our requirements and deliver a strong price performance.”

As the primary supplier of workstations to the NHS, Dell has proven experience in healthcare. Having already worked with Milton Keynes hospital for many of its hardware requirements, the IT department had established a strong working relationship with Dell.

For this new project, Dell was able to demonstrate the benefits of its multi-vendor approach, working with the leading third parties providers of PACS equipment to bring together the right parts for the final, tailored solution. By hand-picking the key suppliers, it worked collaboratively with them to deliver the best possible solution to Milton Keynes hospital.

The new imaging solution uses the wall-mounted Dell Optiplex dual-monitor screens to review x-ray and scan results in theatre. During ward rounds, the Dell Latitude D810 notebooks are used on Ergotron trolleys. These are all connected using a wireless link via different switches to the hospital network which is made up of existing Dell PowerEdge 2850, 2600 and 1850 servers and a Dell PowerVault Tape System. The Dell PowerEdge 1425 server is used for Orthopaedic Templating which allows digital templates of joint replacements and fixation devices to be superimposed over an x-ray. The templates can be moved and re-sized, giving the surgeon a good idea about the size of prosthesis needed before the patient is anaesthetised.

The Dell solution was installed in September 2005 through a phased approach, implemented as wards and theatres became available. It is used in 12 theatres with dual-screen monitors, 22 wards, as well as the departments of Accident and Emergency (A&E), Department of Critical Care (DOCC), Neonatal Unit (NNU), and the Outpatient Unit. Additional Dell desktops and notebooks were implemented to upgrade older machines throughout the hospital, as well as upgrade the consultants’ offices, to ensure a consistent level of technology throughout. The roll-out was managed by Dell and the implementation went smoothly with any issues resolved promptly.

Proven technology delivers optimum performance, allowing clinicians to focus on the job to be done
The key advantages that Dell hardware has delivered to Milton Keynes hospital are its ease-of-use and simple manageability. In addition, the reliability and high quality performance of the workstations from Dell have given Milton Keynes a new peace of mind.

Greenwood says: “It’s rewarding to have the tools to be able to focus on our proper job of giving the best possible care to our patients. The Dell technology delivers the right levels of performance, without requiring a huge investment in training to get up to speed on the latest technology. With over 500 users of the system, it’s impressive to say we have had completely positive feedback of the new technology.”

Vendor agnostic approach boosts quality standards for diagnostic capabilities and increases hospital efficiencies
Building upon the strong performance of Dell’s hardware, Milton Keynes hospital has also been able to take advantage of Dell’s vendor agnostic approach. Working in collaboration with the hospital, Dell was able to recommend independently the most appropriate third party supplier for each part of the solution, which was then supplied and managed by Dell.

Greenwood says: “We were impressed that Dell was able to give us advice on specialist third party products, which ensured that the final solution met the quality standards required by the hospital.”

As part of its turnkey solution, Dell recommended that a bespoke screen solution from Eizo was the best proposition for this key element.

Greenwood says: “We placed our trust in Dell and it paid off. Eizo’s high resolution monitors help us make a more accurate diagnosis because of the quality of the image. Doctors can confidently say if it’s a fracture, for example, knowing they haven’t missed something subtle on the image which could impact diagnosis. Combined with the Dell hardware, we are confident that every time, the image that is displayed will be of the highest quality. Patient care is much more efficient and effective as a result.”

Greenwood says: “It is possible for several clinicians to look at the same image at the same time, from wherever they are working in the hospital. It is therefore easy to arrange for a second or third opinion, without taking lots of time, because the images can be accessed from anywhere in the hospital. We can also get expert opinions from consultant radiologists outside of normal working hours via a VPN link from the consultant’s home to the PACS system. Pooling our resources in this way improves the quality of patient care and speed of responsiveness, without impacting on hospital efficiencies.”

Related links to this article:
Milton Keynes General Hospital
Dell

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