iSOFT snares two more Australian, NZ contracts

Gordon Peters
Friday, 02 July 2010 01:11

IT Industry - Deals

Health systems provider, iSOFT, has signed a five-year deal with New Zealand's Waikato District Health Board to provide a laboratory information system to improve the speed, accuracy and reporting of 6.5 million test results a year.

Under the NZ$2.95 million agreement, iSOFT is providing a single solution for all of Waikato Hospital's pathology services and 190 laboratory staff, and according to iSOFT Australia and New Zealand managing director, James Rice the deal 'will also be watched closely by other health authorities in New Zealand and Australia that are set to upgrade to modern laboratory systems.'

'Proven at over 300 laboratories across Europe and Asia, iSOFT Laboratory covers all laboratory functions including anatomical pathology. Full traceability meets all statutory regulations and provides sophisticated statistical information on the laboratory's business to enable effective decision making. Increased productivity and quicker turnaround of test results also enables faster intervention to improve patient care.

Waikato Hospital's hematologist and pathologist, Dr Hugh Goodman, said the laboratory's work flow will be greatly enhanced. 'Clinicians need reliable, timely information from the laboratory and the system will enhance these core functions as well as preparing the ground for future initiatives such as electronic ordering,' while, Waikato DHB's acting chief information officer, Christopher Goldsmith, said 'this has been a clinically-led project with the primary goal of delivering genuine business transformation and world-class laboratory services.'

Goldsmith said the iSOFT laboratory solution is a 'critical part of our organisation's commitment to providing New Zealanders with best-of-breed clinical services. We anticipate realising the benefits of this investment through enabling our clinicians to access world-class technologies.

"This has been a partnership between clinical, medical, IT and business leaders who have worked diligently to maximise the opportunity of this investment. True clinical leadership has been demonstrated, where the synergy of all disciplines results in a transformation outcome that will deliver significant business benefits to patients.

"This is the model for delivering information technology from now on - strong clinical leadership, owned by everyone.'

According to James Rice, the Waikato deal has been a high-profile project and the first IS project to be approved by the new National Health Board. 'We have worked in a genuine partnership with Waikato District Health Board to define a solution to meet its current and future needs. 

'It also demonstrates our commitment to laboratory services in Australia and New Zealand, which is key, with a number of health authorities set to replace a host of legacy systems that are no longer supported.'

The bulk of Waikato's laboratory services are based at Waikato hospital, but it also provides pathology services at the Thames, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa, and Taumarunui rural hospitals.

The iSOFT contract includes support and maintenance for five years, with the solution due to be installed next year.

And, in another contract win by iSOFT, the company has installed a host of e-health systems at Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney in time for the new 199-bed, state-of-the-art hospital to operate paper-free from day one.

Under the $7.8 million deal agreed in March 2010, iSOFT applications for patient, clinical and medication management as well as finance, purchasing and management reporting have been installed at the $250 million hospital, which opened last month.  iSOFT says the solutions are fully integrated with third-party systems for radiology, laboratory and pharmacy, and that integration is provided by iSOFT's Viaduct integration engine to guarantee that changes are reflected across all applications in real-time.

According to Evan Rawstron, Macquarie's Chief Operating Officer, 'the solutions meet Macquarie's goal of providing integrated patient care across all services. Giving doctors and clinical staff instant online access to precise patient information anywhere across the site will ensure the highest standards of care.'

Rawstron says the hospital has 'adopted modern systems that befit a modern, state-of-the-art hospital. We are committed to delivering a positive patient experience and superior clinical outcomes through the best available care and the latest technologies, including the latest in information technology.'