ECR 2013.indd - Agfa HealthCare
ECR 2013.indd - Agfa HealthCare ECR 2013.indd - Agfa HealthCare
Technology Corner: Workflow EnginesAgfa HealthCare introduces the benefits of task-based workflowengines to medical imagingWorkflow engines are ideally suited for healthcare workflows, yet many Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) continue touse status-driven workflows – which are hard to organize, resistant to customization and inflexible to change. This means many healthcareenterprises are missing out on the advantages a task-based workflow offers. Agfa HealthCare considers that task-based workflow enginesoffer hospitals and caregivers the best opportunity to improve patient care and minimize operational costs.NEW PROCESSES REQUIRE NEW TOOLSContemporary digital imaging hastransformed the face of healthcare.But to experience all the benefits, asuitable workflow is also necessary.This is where workflow applicationscome in. Healthcare enterprises todayneed applications that organize,customize and measure. This meanstools that support them in organizingwork and tasks in the most efficient andcost-effective way possible; allow theworkflow to be customized to the specificneeds of the hospital, department oruser; and offer the possibility to measureprocesses, so that they can be improved.workflow engine does not consider atask complete, and remove it from thelist, until all the information is available.It can even include clinical guidelines ifneeded. When input is required from acolleague, the user can create a task forthat person, enhancing communication.And it is easier to measure how muchwork each person has to do, andto assign work to another person ifnecessary.For the hospital, the workflow enginecan enforce hospital-defined workflows,and then validate that they are beingfollowed. This allows the enterprise toensure that its best practices are beingused correctly.YOUR WORKFLOW IS UNIQUENo two healthcare enterprises will useexactly the same process and rulesfor their workflow. One may requirean extra, manual quality check beforean image is sent to the RadiologyInformation System (RIS). In another,perhaps only radiologists may createreports.WHO DRIVES THE TASKS?Status-based workflows simply don’tmeet those needs. In a status-basedworkflow, the user first searches for astudy with a certain status, and thenmust determine, prioritize, organizeand complete all the steps and tasksto be carried out. But the typicalworkday rarely runs so smoothly. Ashe goes about his tasks, a person isoften interrupted, by colleagues, byemergencies, by new tasks that may havea higher priority… Each time, he mustreturn to the interrupted workflow, andagain determine what needs to be done.For the enterprise, there is also therisk that the individual’s sense ofpriorities doesn’t match the hospital’s:who decides which tasks are mosturgent? Who decides if a task has beencompleted? Who determines the bestperson to carry out a task?A workflow engine creates a task-drivenworkflow that answers all those issues,and more. Each user can create a tasklist for himself, organized by priority.New tasks are automatically added tothe list in the correct place. So the useralways has a clear and defined overviewof everything that must be done. Afterany interruption, it is easy to return tothe exact place in the list and task. TheMammoReporting MammostartWhich reading workflow do I use?Report DistributionendOther examDefault reading workflow30 THERE
startSend EmailBPE PipelineGoogle account available?YesNoSend calendar reminderBPE PipelineFax number available?YesNoSend faxBPE PipelineCellular phone available?YesNoSend SMSBPE PipelineIs confirmation already sent?YesNoSend letterBPE Pipelineend1In a status-based workflow, there is noway to configure these specifications:usually a comment is added tostudies. But the workflow enginecan incorporate these requirementsinto a customized workflow. Eachunique requirement is turned intoan additional step, and prioritizedcorrectly. The specification of theperson to complete the task can alsobe configured, and so can the priority.In fact, tasks can be prioritizeddepending on their purpose: a task foran emergency patient can be given ahigher priority than the same task foranother patient.These customizations andspecifications are configured into theworkflow engine using normal, naturallanguage. So it is easy to configurethe system as needed at runtime. Forexample, to specify that the creatorof a report needs to approve the finalversion of the report, the following rulemight be configured: “each approvaltask is assigned to the creator of thetask.” The engine itself turns thenatural language into the technicalformat and applies the rule.CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IS AMUSTHealthcare enterprises are committedto continuously improving processes, toenhance care and control operationalcosts. But status-based workflows donot support change, as they createrigid, rather than flexible, workflows.With a workflow engine, the hospitalcan easily measure the efficiency ofits processes, and then change theworkflow configuration to optimizethem. All kinds of measure points canbe used, interpreted and compiled intoreports. And the hospital can monitorthe evolution of its processes, keepingit agile and responsive to changingneeds and regulations.WORKFLOW ENGINES IN PRACTICEWith all the benefits of workflowengines, Agfa HealthCare is committedto introducing them into the medicalimaging domain. Solutions like IMPAXNext Generation and IMPAX Agilityuse powerful task-based workflowengines that help to ensure that usersfollow the appropriate steps for theprocedure, circumstances and, mostimportantly, their own workflow.This supports the hospital in meetingregulatory obligations and workflowbest practices, as well as improvingcommunication.THERE 31
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startSend EmailBPE PipelineGoogle account available?YesNoSend calendar reminderBPE PipelineFax number available?YesNoSend faxBPE PipelineCellular phone available?YesNoSend SMSBPE PipelineIs confirmation already sent?YesNoSend letterBPE Pipelineend1In a status-based workflow, there is noway to configure these specifications:usually a comment is added tostudies. But the workflow enginecan incorporate these requirementsinto a customized workflow. Eachunique requirement is turned intoan additional step, and prioritizedcorrectly. The specification of theperson to complete the task can alsobe configured, and so can the priority.In fact, tasks can be prioritizeddepending on their purpose: a task foran emergency patient can be given ahigher priority than the same task foranother patient.These customizations andspecifications are configured into theworkflow engine using normal, naturallanguage. So it is easy to configurethe system as needed at runtime. Forexample, to specify that the creatorof a report needs to approve the finalversion of the report, the following rulemight be configured: “each approvaltask is assigned to the creator of thetask.” The engine itself turns thenatural language into the technicalformat and applies the rule.CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IS AMUSTHealthcare enterprises are committedto continuously improving processes, toenhance care and control operationalcosts. But status-based workflows donot support change, as they createrigid, rather than flexible, workflows.With a workflow engine, the hospitalcan easily measure the efficiency ofits processes, and then change theworkflow configuration to optimizethem. All kinds of measure points canbe used, interpreted and compiled intoreports. And the hospital can monitorthe evolution of its processes, keepingit agile and responsive to changingneeds and regulations.WORKFLOW ENGINES IN PRACTICEWith all the benefits of workflowengines, <strong>Agfa</strong> <strong>HealthCare</strong> is committedto introducing them into the medicalimaging domain. Solutions like IMPAXNext Generation and IMPAX Agilityuse powerful task-based workflowengines that help to ensure that usersfollow the appropriate steps for theprocedure, circumstances and, mostimportantly, their own workflow.This supports the hospital in meetingregulatory obligations and workflowbest practices, as well as improvingcommunication.THERE 31
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