With software from Siemens, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf becomes a European IT leader

This distinction is awarded to hospitals only after comprehensive examination by an international auditing team, in recognition of the successful transition to completely paperless procedures. The UKE electronic patient file, based on Siemens’ innovative solutions Soarian Clinicals and Soarian Health Archive, was a key reason for this award.

EMRAM is a measure of progress in the IT structure of a hospital. After achieving Stage 6 in February 2011, UKE has now attained the highest stage, 7, making it the first hospital in Europe to do so. This means that it not only meets the purely technical criteria for paperless work, but also consistently established it. Digital patient data can easily be exchanged with other healthcare providers such as ambulatory practices or medical insurances. This relieves the burden on the administration and may lead to a faster and more focused treatment. An international audit panel of CEOs and executives from other hospitals and HIMSS Analytics Europe examines the deployment of digital working procedures – from patient admission to release.

“The electronic patient file, based on the hospital information system Soarian Clinicals and Soarian Health Archive, is a major contributor to the efficiency of our clinical and administrative processes.

It’s a milestone in healthcare,” said Dr. Peter Gocke, Head of IT at UKE.” “The UKE is an excellent example of how complex work processes can be improved and made paperless through innovative IT,” said Hartmut Schaper, senior vice president of Health Services at Siemens Healthcare. “We are very pleased that both UKE and its patients are benefiting from this forward-looking solution.”

“The University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf is an example of how healthcare can be transformed by IT. Patients now receive faster and better quality care supported by IT systems,” said Uwe Buddrus, CEO of HIMSS Analytics Europe.

The European EMRAM was adapted to the individual needs of European health institutions. It is based on the American EMRAM, developed in 2005 by HIMSS Analytics to evaluate the progress and benefits of the electronic patient file in the HIMSS Analytics database. Hospitals have the opportunity to test the implementation and use of information technology applications and to measure progress in eight stages (0 through 7). The goal is for all hospitals to achieve Stage 7, which represents a highly developed environment for the paperless electronic patient file.

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest healthcare solution providers and a leading manufacturer and service provider in the fields of medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, hospital information technology and hearing instruments. It offers solutions covering the entire supply chain under one roof – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows oriented toward the most important clinical pictures, Siemens also strives to make healthcare faster, better and, at the same time, less expensive. Siemens Healthcare currently has some 48,000 employees worldwide and is present throughout the world. During fiscal 2010 (up to September 30) the Sector posted sales worth 12.4 billion euros and profits of around 750 million euros.