Dicom Systems, Inc. (www.dcmsys.com), a Silicon Valley-based health IT company specializing in Enterprise Imaging interoperability and workflows, has deployed its flagship Workflow Unifier platform at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Moshi, Tanzania. The project was funded by the non-profit East Africa Medical Assistance Foundation (EAMAF) which chose the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), a 630-bed referral hospital and medical school, as the recipient site.
Increased access to diagnostic imaging has direct correlation to the health of its most vulnerable population: women and children. In Tanzania, some 14,000 women die annually during pregnancy and labor due to postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia. (Tanzania 2017 Maternal And Child Health Fact Sheet, USAID) Many of these deaths are preventable by the most minimal prenatal care: an ultrasound could alert patients of early risks.
Increased access to diagnostic imaging has direct correlation to the health of its most vulnerable population: women and children. In Tanzania, some 14,000 women die annually during pregnancy and labor due to postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia. (Tanzania 2017 Maternal And Child Health Fact Sheet, USAID) Many of these deaths are preventable by the most minimal prenatal care: an ultrasound could alert patients of early risks.
“We are proud that our first customer in Africa is KCMC, a leading healthcare institution in Tanzania,” said Dmitriy Tochilnik, President and CTO of Dicom Systems. “Our early teleradiology installations took place in rural health environments where technology has not traditionally flourished. It’s our privilege that the Workflow Unifier will serve as ground zero for teleradiology workflows and archiving as KCMC executes their vision for Enterprise Imaging.”
“The Dicom Systems Workflow Unifier provides a cost-effective Enterprise Imaging solution for a developing country in need of a sustainable platform. While the Unifier is a sophisticated platform, it offers plenty of performance and functionality at a scaled-down level, without all the bells and whistles. In addition, local system administrators are provided full access to all of the configurations and back-end, making it easy to manage,” said Herman Oosterwijk, President of OTech Inc. and solutions architect for KCMC.
Oosterwijk cited additional benefits to the Workflow Unifier Enterprise Imaging implementation at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre.
Enabling integration of all KCMC specialties. This eliminates wait for paper-based reporting and results in a dramatic decrease in TAT (turnaround time) for physicians to view images.
The Workflow Unifier, combined with a new computed radiology system, will eliminate the need for film and enable KCMC’s transformation to a filmless hospital.
Increased data integrity utilizing the DICOM Modality Worklist (DMWL) feature which will provide an interface between KCMC’s EMR and all modalities.
“This project is a testament to the simplicity and scalability of Dicom Systems solutions,” said Florent Saint-Clair, Executive Vice President of Dicom Systems. “We are receiving more inquiries from healthcare organizations worldwide who want to accomplish similar objectives: enable remote diagnostic workflows so they can reach more patients across disparate geographies. Nearly half the world¹ doesn’t have access to basic imaging services. Thanks to KCMC, we ultimately hope to witness a material decrease in population health indicators like maternal and infant mortality by increasing access to remote diagnostic services during the first trimester. Early detection is saving lives. Dicom Systems is proud to empower KCMC in their extraordinary mission to improve their patients’ access to care.”
Dicom Systems will be exhibiting in Booth 510 at SIIM 2018 at the Gaylord Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland from May 28-June 2, 2018. Schedule a demo at dcmsys.com.
¹ World Health Organization, Essential Diagnostic Imaging
