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Improved Patient Care
Good Samaritan Cancer Care Center (GSCCC), part of Good
Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois, is one of four
cancer centers in the Advocate Health Care System, offering
comprehensive cancer care services to 40 patients per day—from
diagnostics to the latest in treatment therapies. Through
implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR), GSCCC has
been able to provide optimal patient care while streamlining
operations and communication among clinicians throughout the
entire Advocate Health Care System.
Simultaneous Chart Review & Remote
Access
At any time – from any location within the system – a patient’s
EMR may be accessed by the physician, nurse, therapist, or other
staff member with the appropriate security authorization levels.
Moreover, several people can access the chart at the same time,
increasing efficiency and breadth of care. According to Paula
Timmerman, manager of oncology services, “With IMPAC’s EMR we
always have access to the patient chart, which enables us to
provide precise treatment promptly. This saves us time, of
course, but our patients really appreciate that we have
up-to-date charts from anywhere in the facility.”
Electronic Chart Checking
Chart checking at GSCCC is superior in every way to manual chart
checking, according to chief physicist, Mark Pankuch, PhD.
“Simply collecting all of the charts was an arduous task at
best,” he said. “There was always the possibility that a chart
was missing and potentially could go unchecked.” With electronic
chart checking, physicists are automatically flagged that a
chart has been checked, and the charge for service is added at
the same time.
Electronic Image Management
With an electronic image management system, physicians and
therapists can access the images with IMPAC on any workstation
at any time, eliminating the clumsy and time-consuming task of
sifting through port films. Dr. Pankuch added that electronic
image review is one of the keys to system-wide quality
assurance. “Quality assurance is of the highest priority at
GSCCC. In a filmless environment, sequential portal images can
be viewed simultaneously, and even subtle changes and trends can
be detected and corrected immediately.”
Device Integration
GSCCC operates in a digital environment, with clinical
management and image management capabilities integrated with
equipment throughout the department, such as computed
radiography scanners for digital simulation and portal
verification images. This integration between software and
hardware provides a seamless transfer of information to the EMR,
enhancing the quality of the patient record. Timmerman added,
“With IMPAC, we have not only been able to improve our
productivity and efficiency, which is critical for any
organization; but we have also been able to provide our patients
with better care, improving their confidence and peace of mind
during such a difficult time.” |
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Good Samaritan Cancer Care Center, Downers Grove, IL
Mark Pankuch, PhD, chief physicist, Good Samaritan Cancer Care
Center |
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