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06.06.08
Professor Brendan Drum (CEO HSE) Visit Global Clinic Arklow County Wicklow Ireland
Professor Brendan Drum (CEO Health Services Executive) visit to the Global Diagnostics Imaging Unit, Arklow Primary Care Centre, County Wicklow.
On Friday, June 6, 2008 Professor Brendan Drum and his team spent three hours visiting be Arklow Primary Care Centre reviewing each of the clinical services offered from the facility including the Global Diagnostics Imaging Unit. It was a tremendous opportunity for the CEO of the Health Services Executive to meet with the local primary care practitioners and ancillary health-care workers in this very exciting community-based Pilot Project. Prof Drum clearly enjoyed the open and frank dialogue he shared with a group of the local GP faculty where they were able to exchange their thoughts and experiences on the impact of this innovative prime care model. Prof Drum heard first-hand of the tangible benefits of community-based access to the diagnostic imaging facility provided on site by Global Diagnostics, the successful preferred provider for what is the Health Services Executive's first ever procurement for such services through the EU competitive tendering process.
Dr Johnny Walker (Founder and CEO of Global Diagnostics) interrupted his clinical ultrasound and radiography session to walk Prof Drum through the functions of the Web-based ' Global Link ' digital teleradiology system which links the x-ray and ultrasound facilities through a secured network directly to the reporting radiologist's remote diagnostic workstation. Voice recognition software is utilised to provide an immediate verified report, with appropriately annotated images embedded within, which is instantaneously made available to the referring general practitioners through their own desk top Web portal. Global Diagnostics provide rapid access to the patients in the local community with immediate turnaround times for any urgent medical or surgical case.
A full clinical and operational audit of the first 1700 patients was presented to Prof Drum by Christine McKenna (General Manager Global Diagnostics Ireland) which demonstrated turnaround times as quick as 22 minutes for the report to be delivered to the doctors desktop following completion of the patient being scanned.
81% of patients noted that because of the location and flexibility around scheduling times, the patient or the person bringing them to the appointment did not have to take time off work as the appointment could be fitted into their daily schedule. 25% of appointments were available on an immediate access walk-in basis. The requirement to orally fast for certain ultrasound procedures precluded a further 16% ultrasound patients from completing their scan as walk-in patients although in most cases there was appointment availability on the day. 100% of patients were contacted within 24 hours of receipt of fax referrals to the clinic.
97% of patients survey found the service either excellent or very good.
"My appointment for my scan was 11:30 a.m. and I was sitting with my doctor at lunchtime on the same day reviewing the scan and the report with him!" reported one of the local Arklow patients who had undergone a recent ultrasound study at Global Diagnostics.
"We are delighted with the service. The patients are happy and the reports are available within no time. Urgent reports are turned around within an hour with Johnny available to discuss the results. It is altogether a brilliant service" Dr Leonie Devereaux, Bradshaw's Lane surgery.
"Couldn't improve on the service and I have experienced the service both as a doctor and patient. The standard of the reports is great . It is too good to be true and I can't say anything wrong with it. Patients are delighted not to have to travel to Dublin". Dr Damian Doyle, Carnew Health Centre Wicklow.
"Really happy with the service as are my patients. I would not change anything about it. Everything is perfect!" Dr June Coates. General Practitioner Arklow Wicklow.
An external clinical audit was completed by Imaging Audit Services (UK) on 10% of x-rays completed. Each case is assessed across three criteria:
- The quality of the images captured (Global Diagnostics score of >3 out of 5: 99%);
- The use of the language in the reports (Global Diagnostics score >3 out of 5: 100%);
- The accuracy of the language used in the reports (Global Diagnostics score >3 out of 5: 99%).
It was very rewarding for all of the staff working at the Arklow Community Care Centre to have the opportunity to meet with Prof Drum. It is hoped that the success of the Arklow community-based pilot may now provide a template for a broader vision which could see similar such facilities commissioned by the Health Services Executive in strategic regional, rural and remote locations throughout Ireland. "This has been a tremendous success when measured across each of the key pillars of service delivery and is a compelling model that warrants serious consideration as to a possible roll-out strategy which would see such facilities implemented into other communities across the country to replicate the success of the Arklow Pilot." said Dr Johnny Walker when asked to comment on his coalface experience of the project.
