Teamplay IT solution enables more efficient use of protocols

• New protocol function supports standardization of efficient work processes in radiology
• Intuitive data management for in-hospital imaging systems to increase transparency and economic efficiency
• Precise dose management using current benchmarks; within a network of experts

As healthcare providers face rising costs, at the same time patients expect constant improvements in their level of clinical care. The only way to deal with this apparent contradiction is to make efficient use of the resources available. That’s why hospitals need a very precise understanding of their patient volumes and work volumes so they can remain competitive as healthcare providers.

One way to do this, for example, is to maintain transparency about the economic efficiency of their radiology departments at minimal cost. This will help them identify potentials for improvement. The cloud-based network teamplay of Siemens Healthcare makes it possible to assess the capacity utilization of imaging devices, the various work sequences and individual examinations in an uncomplicated and easy-to-follow way that meets this requirement.

The ability to compare this data – in anonymized form – against values from similar healthcare providers with just a click helps achieve a more objective analysis of the actual situation (1). The new teamplay offering Protocols (2), which is being premiered at the congress of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, USA, now provides an extra step to help customers implement improvements for the longer term.

Teamplay's protocol function makes it easier to combine, process and analyze protocols. Protocols from selected Siemens computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices can in future be compared, commented on and archived. A sample protocol can also be transferred to other modalities for further use, enabling established protocols to be accessed for subsequent scans of the same type.

Dr. Frank Schellhammer, Chief Radiologist at the Augustinian Hospital in Cologne, Germany, has incorporated teamplay into his daily hospital routine. “The workflow in a hospital ultimately depends on how the communication functions between the various departments, and also within the individual departments themselves,” he explains. “The better we share data, the more efficiently we are able to use our modalities, and the more time we have for each individual patient, which in turn leads to a quality of results and an image quality that will benefit the patient.” The operating concept of teamplay is designed around the users' intuitive understanding, which means no training is needed to be able to work with the platform. The network teamplay can be called up and used on tablets, laptops and desktop PCs. Efficient protocol management using teamplay forms the basis for the standardization of work and examination sequences.

Before the protocols are analyzed, the Usage and Dose offerings help prepare the huge volumes of incoming data on a single platform so the analysis can be performed at a glance. After all, around one million examinations are performed around the world every day using Siemens devices, with data volumes to match. Usage provides an overview of the performance data from the imaging modalities such as CT or MRI, including a daily usage report. This records the number of examinations per hour, the time and nature of the examination, total capacity utilization for the device and the parties providing treatment, as well as the time it takes to move from one patient to the next. This knowledge helps optimize hospital work sequences and employee workloads, cut waiting times for patients and lastingly reduce costs.

Another critical parameter in radiology departments is the volume of ionizing radiation needed. Teamplay looks after this with its Dose offering, which monitors the radiation dose. In addition to generating a precise listing of the doses applied, it's also possible to compare current values against national reference values, and dose values from other facilities and from similar examinations. In this way, teamplay helps optimizing the dose used for every patient, their examination and diagnosis.

The high data protection standards offered by teamplay ensure that patient data can be uploaded anonymized in the cloud-based network. All of teamplay's functions meet the legal data protection requirements of HIPAA (USA) and the European data protection laws and special encryption technology ensures these requirements are even exceeded. The certification process by EuroPriSe (Europe) and ULD (Germany) is initiated, but not yet completed.

1 Availability of Benchmark option depends on a total minimum subscriber number to guarantee customer anonymity and data protection.

2 This information about this product is preliminary; it is under development, not commercially available, and its future availability cannot be ensured.

This press release and press pictures are available at www.siemens.com/press/rsna2015

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of gas and steam turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2015, which ended on September 30, 2015, Siemens generated revenue of €75.6 billion and net income of €7.4 billion. At the end of September 2015, the company had around 348,000 employees worldwide.

Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com

The products/features (here mentioned) are not commercially available in all countries. Due to regulatory reasons their future availability cannot be guaranteed. Further details are available from the local Siemens organizations.

Reference Number: PR2015110094HCEN

Contact
Ms. Sarah Hermanns
Siemens Healthcare GmbH
Siemens AG

Henkestr. 127

91052 Erlangen

Germany

Tel: +49 (9131) 84-5337

sarah.hermanns​@siemens.com