Montgomery General Hospital implemented McKesson's Horizon Medical Imaging PACS to improve efficiency in their emergency department and radiology workflows. The PACS reduced report turnaround times from 54 hours to 18 hours, increased patient throughput, and allowed radiologists to access diagnostic images and reports enterprise-wide. Physicians could now view radiology reports immediately to inform treatment decisions. The PACS also improved weekly cancer conferences by enabling projection of images and reports. Overall the system helped reallocate resources to better support patient care.

1. Case Study
At a Glance Montgomery General Hospital
Organization Improves Efficiency of Emergency Department
Montgomery General Hospital
Olney, Md. with PACS
– More than 550 physicians
Throughout its nearly 150-year “We knew if we could decrease
– 144 beds history, Montgomery General transcription time, we would
– One of four subsidiaries of Hospital (MGH) has been improve report turnaround and
MGH Health Services, Inc. committed to expanding, patient throughput. Getting results
– Coverage: 497 square miles upgrading and modernizing its back to the point of care quicker
of greater Baltimore and facilities and services to provide would also result in better patient
metropolitan Washington, D.C. the most advanced medical care and satisfaction,” says
therapies and specialized Pat Romanhoch, medical imaging
– Fully accredited by JCAHO and treatment programs available. director. “Reducing the costs, delays,
State of Maryland Department This commitment has included lost files and errors associated
of Health and Mental Hygiene comprehensive diagnostic and with film and manual data input
interventional radiology services. was also important.”
Solution Spotlight With plans to add a new,
expanded Emergency Department Answers
– Horizon Medical Imaging™ (ED), the volume of radiology
PACS Since several other area hospitals
services is expected to increase. use McKesson products, a number
Senior management concluded of MGH physicians and technicians
Critical Issues that implementing an enterprise were familiar with the solution and
image informatics solution would recommended Horizon Medical
– Improve workflow through provide more clinical capabilities
enterprise image management Imaging™ PACS.
to its patients and improve quality
– Achieve diagnostic image of care and efficiency. “McKesson’s reputation was its
interpretation access through biggest selling feature,” explains
enterprise Challenges Romanhoch. “Horizon Medical
– Improve quality of patient care With 75% of all radiology patients Imaging PACS was easy to adopt
– Reduce costs via improved coming from the ED, MGH sought into our existing departments and
patient throughput and to improve report turnaround simple to teach to our staff.”
report turnaround time and patient throughput. The
hospital also wanted to improve Deployment of McKesson’s
radiologist efficiency and Horizon Medical Imaging PACS and
Results workflow, while providing Horizon Radiology Manager™ RIS
– Lowered report turnaround referring physicians with patient was recommended to acquire,
from 54 hours to 18 hours images quickly and easily. In distribute and archive medical
addition, nearly all of MGH’s images and diagnostic reports
– Reduced costs for transcription competitors had implemented across MGH. It would also enable
services picture archiving and communi- the hospital to integrate clinical
– Gained instant access to cation systems (PACS), and MGH patient data with images from
radiology images and reports needed to follow suit to remain multiple modalities (including
in the ED competitive with technology those generated by the new ED),
– Achieved more efficient weekly and maintain its referring streamline workflow and improve
cancer conferences due to physician base. efficiency for all specialties
projected images and reports throughout the hospital.
in the ED

2. Case Study
“We have been very happy “Prompt service is important to ED with the radiologist and prescribe
patients, so it was critical to increase treatment on the spot. This kind
with McKesson. They patient throughput. One of the best of efficiency makes our staff and
have met our needs and ways to achieve this was through patients happy.”
improved report turnaround,” adds
expectations, and the affect Ken Kline, RIS/PACS administrator. Workflow capabilities of Horizon
Medical Imaging PACS have given
of Horizon Medical Imaging Results MGH the capacity and financial
on workflow has allowed us At MGH, clinical efficiency as a stability to add new modalities and
result of improvements to workflow diagnostic or treatment services,
to reallocate resources from the Horizon Medical Imaging which have further increased
PACS installation has led to patient and image volume.
to more needed areas —
increased patient throughput
ultimately leading to and faster report turnaround. “Not only were we able to reduce
costs for transcription services, we
better patient care.” “Our staff loves the system’s three- were able to reduce staff by one FTE
click reporting feature,” says Kline. in the file room and reallocate this
“The ability to report directly to FTE resource to a much needed
Pat Romanhoch the RIS has been important for tech assistant,” states Romanhoch.
decreasing transcription time. In “Additionally, weekly cancer
Medical Imaging Director seven months, report turnaround conferences are more efficient
decreased from 54 hours to just 18.” because Horizon Medical Imaging
Montgomery General Hospital PACS affords the ability to display
Physician and patient satisfaction patient images and project them
have also increased. Radiologists can onto a screen.”
create, edit and distribute reports
immediately, enabling physicians to Future plans for MGH include
receive results faster and prescribe incorporating sonography
treatment sooner. The system also reporting within Horizon
improves patient education by Medical Imaging PACS.
enabling physicians to show results
with an electronic image. “We have been very happy with
McKesson,” says Romanhoch.
“Now, when a patient comes to “They have met our needs and
radiology for imaging, results are expectations, and the affect
available to ED physicians via PACS of Horizon Medical Imaging
before the patient returns to the on workflow has allowed us to
ED,” Kline notes. “The ED physician reallocate resources to more
can review the study with the needed areas — ultimately
attached radiology report, converse leading to better patient care.”
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