ePA: ENT Clinic Ulm concludes marketing agreement with Wilken Entire
08.06.2011 16:26
With its new, self-developed electronic patient record (ePA), the Ulm University Hospital for Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine (ENT) Ulm has already attracted national attention. The university hospital has now officially concluded a contract with Wilken Entire AG to market the ePA.
The Ulm-based software company specializes in applications in the areas of administration, health and social affairs and will distribute, implement and support the new product exclusively in German-speaking countries. Two specific inquiries from clinics were received before the official sales activities started.
“We waited until we could really ensure that we had the human resources for both sales and support of the ePA before signing the contract,” explains Dr. Peter Kottmann, Head of Sales at Wilken Entire. At the end of March, the ENT clinic provided information about the new information system for the first time after the report could no longer be maintained. The positive response to the first public presentation at an international congress in Wiesbaden last year was extremely positive. Numerous chief physicians from German hospitals traveled to Ulm to see the ePA in practice. Doctors are now being flooded with inquiries. “This is an opportunity for us to transfer marketing and support to a cooperation partner,” reports the clinic’s medical director, Professor Gerhard Rettinger. “However, we remain integrated into further development. That’s part of the contract.”
The new electronic patient record (ePA) maps all clinical processes. Patient data such as diagnoses, hospital stays, medications administered or previous treatments are always fully available - even in an emergency. There is also a wealth of information for clinic operations: bed occupancy, length of stay of patients, their current stay, as well as duty, vacation and surgery plans. The information system also contains assistance for medical staff. This includes checklists, sketches, forms, text modules and routine processes from smell and taste tests to complete allergy diagnostics. Photos can be easily integrated, for example before and after plastic surgery. In addition, interfaces to other areas such as pathology or radiology are ensured. Ultrasound images are immediately visible on the screen and are significantly sharper than with the printouts previously used.
Originally, the Ulm ENT Clinic just wanted to get rid of often illegible handwritten entries in the medical records. The conventional commercial programs were only partially suitable for clinical operations. That's why Dr. Siegfried Tewes, a doctor of biophysics and clinical information technology, started his own programming around six years ago. Dr. Konrad Kastl coordinated the development technically. Other doctors, nursing staff and administrative staff contributed experiences, requirements and suggestions. “The electronic patient file impressed us straight away with its deep integration into the medical processes,” sums up Dr. Peter Kottmann from Wilken Entire. “It was immediately apparent that the software was developed by users for users and is undoubtedly a unique selling point.” Further development should now be closely aligned to the requirements of clinical users.