ABU DHABI – Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, managed by the Cleveland Clinic, has gone live with an electronic imaging system to manage the storage, retrieval and viewing of radiological images.

The goal, say officials, is to improve patient care and safety, enhance patient confidentiality and eliminate unnecessary scanning of films and duplication of testing.

SKMC is owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

SKMC recently implemented the Philips picture archiving and communication system (PACS), which was supported by SEHA as part of a system-wide initiative to implement state-of-the-art technology that directly enhances and improves patient care. The integration of the PACS with Cerner's healthcare information system, which is being installed at SEHA hospitals, is expected to facilitate a quicker result reporting process and directly feed into the patient electronic medical record.

The strategy is to create integrated healthcare information solutions that provide physicians and other care providers with the appropriate tools to make sound clinical decisions, said H.E. Saif Bade Al Qubaisi, SEHA's chairman. The successful implementation of the PACS is an important step in achieving this goal and supporting the rollout of the rest of the HIS modules at SKMC, he said.

"This milestone is one in a series of steps to automate medical record-keeping and other electronic patient-centered systems," he said. "We are harnessing technology to improve efficiency and safety in our hospitals and buildings on the Emirate's e-government initiative."

Scott Strong, MD, SKMC's CEO, said the PACS system was created and designed to help health organizations improve clinical outcomes by driving error, variance and waste from the care process. He said the technology makes it possible for clinical images to be electronically stored and viewed on any computer screen within the medical city, eliminating the old approach of capturing X-rays and scans on film or paper.

"Our vision to provide the best care possible requires the use of healthcare information technology to complement our clinical activities, which are delivered in compliance with Joint Commission International standards," Strong said.

"It is very important when treating a patient to have access to their imaging studies and radiological scans, especially in emergency cases when time is of the essence," said Atul Mehta, chief medical officer at SKMC. "By implementing this system, healthcare providers at SKMC will instantly share the same patient data and view the tests in a timely manner. This gives all providers the information they need to expedite treatment and improve outcomes."