The Klinikum Chemnitz linked its teleradiology service with the electronic health record (EHR), as one of the first hospitals in Germany to do so. Demographic and administrative data of telediagnostic treatment can be made available via an EHR. If the patient agrees to this process, images and results from diagnostics can be shared by different facilities. Thanks to a special security system, the data are only accessible to authorized users who are involved in the patient treatment. Siemens equipped the hospital with an overall technology system, which does not only include Soarian^® Integrated Care (Soarian IC) to manage patient data, but also radiological image communication software. Together with 14 regional county hospitals as well as medical centers and several practicing physicians, Klinikum Chemnitz thereby sets standards for integrated healthcare in Germany.

Especially regarding diagnoses in the fields of neurosurgery, traumatology, angiology, and radiology, the clinic supports regional hospitals and practices with its expert medical knowledge. "As one of the largest hospitals in Germany, and due to its wide performance spectrum and staff of medical specialists, Klinikum Chemnitz is an important partner for the hospitals in the region. Via telemedicine, we can also make our knowledge accessible beyond the clinic, for instance across institutional borders. This offers cost-cutting potentials for the entire network and provides the patient with healthcare close to home with fewer relocations", said Olaf Schlimpert, MD, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Medical Information Technology Department at Klinikum Chemnitz. A patient who has been taken into a county hospital after an accident can be diagnosed using a computed tomography scan without a medical specialist being on site. The image data can be sent electronically to a responsible doctor in the clinical center, who then sends back the report to the requesting unit.

Soarian IC improves the flow of information across institutions and sectors without the need to replace existing primary systems. As a result, the system supports the cooperation between the individual clinical facilities and simplifies the patient treatment. "In the future, not only institutional borders, but also interfaces between outpatient, inpatient, and rehab treatment will disappear altogether. Siemens is also the partner that can support these new trends in the long run with eHealth solutions," says Schlimpert.