Region Jönköping
Region Jönköping
Health care IT system just in time
Public health, health care and dental care are the county´s main tasks in Region Jönköping, southern Sweden, and their costs compose 90% of the province´s SEK 11,6 billion budget. Millions of test results are analyzed and reported with LabVantage Medical Suite, provided by Software Point.
There are three hospitals in cities of Jönköping, Värnamo and Eksjö, and altogether 45 health centers of which 14 are owned by private companies. Region Jönköping´s all 353,000 residents have a freedom of choice on which health center they primarily will turn to – all health centers have the same duties, rules and payments, regardless of the ownership.
Versatile competences
By replacing four separate legacy systems with one modern web-based LabVantage Medical Suite Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Region Jönköping aimed at an increased accessibility across the province, integration between the disciplines – clinical chemistry and microbiology – as well as common ways of working. Other expected benefits included more effective and improved operations, plus better follow-up of activities.
Project Manager Eva Möller led Region Jönköping´s LIMS project group consisting of 15 experts with versatile competences. IT Planning Manager Ninna Ström pulled the strings in the steering group consisting of seven representatives from Procurement, ICT, Medical Diagnostics, and Laboratory Medicine.
The selection process included strict rating system comparing the suppliers and functionalities of the alternative systems.
”In the beginning, two of the three suppliers evaluated were quite even. We met them and specified what was included in their solutions. We also looked at the price – not only the one-time payment but also, how much the solution would cost over the years to come.”
In conclusion, Software Point providing LabVantage Medical Suite won the race.
The project was divided into configuration phases, approval phases, trainings, and implementation. First started microbiological laboratories, then chemical laboratories including primary care in Värnamo, next Höglandet and finally Jönköping.
New connections
Region Jönköping´s LabVantage system has now been in daily use since 2012. The system has approximately 340 users in the three hospital laboratories and in 30 primary care laboratories.
“As our laboratories carry out 4,3 million test results annually, LabVantage Medical Suite is pretty handy in analyzing and verifying are the results OK or not. The results are ready for giving to the patients, either electronically or in paper format. Moreover, LabVantage gives us compiled statistics of our operations for us to elaborate further”, says Ninna Ström.
Region Jönköping has multiplicity of analysis instruments integrated into the system: altogether 60 analysis instruments connected in the three hospital laboratories, and over 80 instruments in primary care.
In addition to clinical chemistry and microbiology, other important integrations are blood bank, scanning solution, web service to patient demographics, debiting system, and integration to the data warehouse. Region Jönköping has also started to use the logistic part of the system – information related to distributing and receiving samples within and outside the LabVantage system.
Success factors
All in all, Region Jönköping´s project team conducted their project sure-handed. Though the steering group tightened the timetable on the run, it was kept exactly.
“The project went very smoothly. Special thanks go to our project steering group which prepared the delivery contract, provided sufficient resources from Software Point, and guaranteed that everything was proceeding”, Eva Möller acknowledges.
Equally, our success factors included the competent, devoted, united and patient project group – as well as our cooperative supplier, Software Point.
"The project plan was carefully thought, and the timetable was realistic. User trainings were arranged close to the implementation phase, and we provided good training materials.”
Last but not least, Ninna Ström and Eva Möller speak well of the collaboration across organizational boundaries and working roles, as well as proper project communication in-house and between Region Jönköping and Software Point.
After the primary implementation, Region Jönköping´s project group and Software Point have had follow-up meetings every half year, fixing possible bugs, defining prevailing needs, and prioritizing further developments.
“It is a well-functioning system indeed. We have continuously updated it and taken new functionalities in use. One ongoing project is expanding the number of connected instruments within primary care laboratories, and we are starting to use subcontracting e-solutions.”
Having had her both hands on the system implementation, Eva Möller has word of advice for anyone planning a similar renewal:
“Do the requirement specifications carefully before the project. Moreover, we have learnt that it is crucial to allocate resources for the project in your own organization, and to reserve enough time. Those who will be using the system, must actively participate in the project.”
More info: www.rjl.se
Text: Software Point
Photos: Johan W. Avby, Region Jönköpings län
25.8.2017
