Hospitals Turn to Vendors Like Elekta for Help in Squeezing Most From Existing Te...( As Capital Expenditures Slow Hospital...),Health

As Capital Expenditures Slow, Hospitals and Treatment Centers Seek Competitive Advantage by Leveraging Technology

ATLANTA, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- For oncology programs struggling to make ends meet, the ability to do more with less is appealing. The pressure to gain efficiencies comes from two converging market forces: the recessionary economy that is straining the traditionally recession-proof healthcare industry, and the national push to implement electronic medical records (EMRs).

The subject of EMRs is gaining new prominence with the inclusion of $19 billion in Congress's economic stimulus package as well as the impending 2014 deadline for having an electronic health record for every American, which was set by the federal government five years ago.

"Oncology departments using Impac Software often don't fully appreciate how its features can streamline processes and reduce workload because they are comprised of so many different physician specialists and systems," says Terry Oakes, vice president, STRATEGIQ Services for Elekta.

As a result, Elekta formed STRATEGIQ Services, a professional services group, to assist clients in obtaining additional value from their oncology programs. By evaluating and restructuring administrative and clinical processes while maximizing the usage of functionality available in Impac's comprehensive EMR software, MOSAIQ, oncology departments are finding benefits that not only create savings but also increase staff and patient satisfaction.

"We found that many oncology departments were only using the software for its basic ability to schedule, verify patient treatments, and print out paper charts," Oakes says. "I like to say that STRATEGIQ Services 'brings the software to life' by helping our clients realize efficiencies for their unique challenges. We work with our clients to revise their current processes and use of the software. We help them
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