Siemens

Soarian is the primary healthcare information system (HIS) adopted by Siemens users. Designed to offer an efficient way to manage information technology in the medical setting, this software architecture offers both a comprehensive and specialized solution. It is comprehensive in its ability to work across healthcare teams, individual departments, and complex organizations. It is specialized in that many of the components are created for use in a specific departmental setting.

Within the Soarian framework, HIT professionals can expect to encounter healthcare process management (HPM), Soarian’s computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, and various other modules that require building, maintenance, and upgrades. As one of the most trusted names in healthcare technology, and as an increasingly important part of a hospital’s infrastructure, Siemens is one of those brands all professionals in a healthcare capacity—from IT professionals to clinicians—can expect to encounter in some form or another.

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Within the Siemens Soarian system, the primary ordering application (CPOE) gives physicians, nurses, and pharmacists a way to streamline the way they handle medication orders and dispensation. There is no better way to reduce the number of mistakes made and cut back on potentially damaging lawsuits than by eliminating errors related to prescriptions and IVs.

HIT workers with Soarian and CPOE experience can facilitate this process even more with the Orders module, which brings functionality to all levels of care. From building the needed databases to integrating the system with existing Soarian and HIS applications, the results are a more streamlined way to administer care. This function almost never exists independent of other Soarian systems, so familiarity with the newest Siemens technology will go a long way in maximizing the Orders module.

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Siemens has a series of Clinical Solutions that offer a way for individual hospital departments and specialized providers to integrate technology into their current setting. The primary Clinical Solutions options used by Siemens customers include Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Oncology, and Neurology. Within these modules, users will find better ways to transfer patient data, upload charts and treatment plans, process orders, and handle clinical workflows throughout the entire continuum of care unique to each department.

All of these individual solutions tap into the larger Siemens HIS system of patient information and data, which means that integration is a key component of any interaction within the Clinical Solution framework. HIT consultants with build experience in Siemens and Clinical Solutions can expect to encounter quite a bit of cross-referencing between modules and within the IT framework as a whole.

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The Revenue Cycle Management solution offered through the Siemens Soarian healthcare information system goes beyond healthcare practices to include a business component. Offering ways to streamline processes, manage budgets, optimize revenue cycles, and control costs, the Revenue Cycle Management solution can be fully integrated into traditional practices in the finance and accounting departments as well as within management-level functions.

As part of the Revenue Cycle Management system, users will find Next-Generation Enterprise modules, Rural and Community Hospital modules, and Healthcare Enterprise modules. For this reason, it is closely tied to the Invision line of products, and top Soarian HIT consultants know how to work all of the features into one smooth and practicable workflow.

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The Invision Financials solution that Siemens offers to all its customers is a healthcare management system for the entire revenue cycle. With a single point of access for everything from billing and receiving to account reconciliation, Invision Financials lowers the cost of running a successful healthcare business or practice while also streamlining the way patients interact with the system.

The Invision process provides tools for all parts of the revenue cycle, which can be added or used at the client’s direction. It also offers a way to organize patient information and analyze data for use in financial reviews or projections. Because this system straddles the line between business IT and healthcare IT, consultants working within the infrastructure need to have a solid basis in both fields.

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One of the ways in which Siemens has distinguished itself from the competition is through OAS Gold. When built into the Siemens system, OAS Gold allows users to tap into advanced features for organizing information and managing accounts. OAS Gold builds on the older Siemens software products to offer more user-friendly options and to enhance user experience within the HIT environment.

Whether an organization needs their HIS to be upgraded to OAS Gold, or if a training component or maintenance is required, HIT professionals with Siemens experience can help move organizations to the next level. As is the case with any software upgrade, security of information and ease of migration are the most important factors to consider when working within the Siemens system.

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The Patient Management solution offered through the Siemens line of HIS products is the primary point of access for healthcare workers managing the flow of inpatient and outpatient records. This electronic medical records system simplifies access to the necessary information for admissions, updates, and discharges, and also maintains real-time updates so that the entire network is able to make decisions in a timely and well-informed manner.

HIT professionals working within the Siemens HIS system will most likely encounter the Patient Management system at all levels of the infrastructure. That’s because this software is the master ADT system for disseminating information throughout the healthcare setting. With the right build, changes made at the ancillary systems can be reflected in the Patient Management system in a two-way flow of information, thereby improving quality of care across the board.

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For comprehensive patient account management within a smaller, more rural or community-based hospital setting, the MedSeries4 Patient Accounting system provides a perfectly-sized solution. As the primary AD (accounts receivable) and ADT (admissions, discharge, transfer) system, users can control the patient experience from the moment they are entered into the computer.

In addition to patient information and ADT information, MedSeries4 can be used to generate reports, identify trends, consolidate data, and improve business efficiencies. That’s because in addition to acting as the primary HIS component, MedSeries4 is also a way to handle billing, insurance, and other financials. HIT consultants with MedSeries4 AR/ADT build experience are an integral part in making this all happen and in streamlining patient accounts from the moment the software is first implemented.

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The Soarian Scheduling option through the Siemens line of products is a workflow-driven application that coordinates activities and appointments across departments and even healthcare facilities. Users can manage resources, simplify processes, and handle information in a way that optimizes each one. With the Scheduling management system, patients get the benefit of having more flexible and managed appointments. Clinicians get the benefit of a more organized system of care. It is a win-win situation all around.

Look to Soarian Scheduling for side-by-side patient and resource schedules, advanced schedule views, appointment booking, staffing interactions, and clinical prerequisites. Because every healthcare setting is unique and has different scheduling needs, HIT consultants can expect to customize this system for the setting in which it is implemented.

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The Signature Practice Management System is a successful technology option that provides advanced patient accounting and management solutions. A great way to improve patient satisfaction and employee efficiency, Signature is an intuitive system designed to be user-friendly and to provide a single database for all accounting transactions. It is used for everything needed to centralize front-office procedures, from scheduling to billing, and also offers back-office functions for managing accounts.

As the name suggests, Signature Practice Management System is designed for use in smaller offices and specialty healthcare providers who are the primary point of contact for their patients. It is commonly used in place of more sophisticated technology options that aren’t required for organizations of this size. HIT building and maintenance for this system is therefore directed at self-sustainability within the small practice or office setting.

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Siemens Pharmacy manages the patient-clinician-medication process from ordering and dispensing through administration and billing. Designed to simplify the way pharmaceuticals are handled, this system works hand-in-hand with the HIS to provide a complete electronic medical records setting. The Pharmacy module is always built into an existing framework, and must be maintained with an eye to the cross-flow of regular information.

In today’s healthcare setting, patient safety is the most important factor, and Siemens pharmacy helps to reach goals and maintain regulations. Patients can be instantly double-checked for allergies and drug interactions, and medical staff and the pharmacy department can communicate in real time and with the same information in front of them.

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Novius Lab (also known as the traditional Siemens Laboratory system) provides a clinical lab support for processing and testing large volumes of samples. Designed to generate lab results more quickly and with greater accuracy, Novius Lab is also tied into the EMR system so that healthcare works can all access the information without unnecessary delays. It is a completely electronic system, as well, which reduces paperwork loads and helps streamline user workflows.

Although Novius Lab is designed to be easy to install and configure, it does require the build experience of an HIT professional who can work within unique healthcare environments. In addition to more traditional integration like patient data, there is an additional framework for understanding the laboratory setting and how specimen processing is handled for maximum safety and results.

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The Siemens OpenLink application is an integration engine offering user-friendly tools for the storage and transfer of complex information. When a large healthcare organization adopts Siemens technology for all their departments, there needs to be a bridge between them. That’s where OpenLink steps in. Offering a way to connect clinical, laboratory, imaging, financial, and administrative data, this web-based health system is the fastest and most reliable way to create interoperability between users.

Because data is transferred in real time and with privacy settings firmly in place, OpenLink can reduce the need for manual data entry while still staying within HIPAA regulations. However, that does require a consultant or manager familiar with the Siemens system and the hospital infrastructure. HIT professionals working within OpenLink can also expect to encounter many of the common health-based technology standards (HL7, X12, XML, and DICOM) as well as the different modules within the larger Siemens HIS.

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The Enterprise Access Directory (EAD) is a master patient index for use in complex healthcare settings and hospitals. The EAD acts as a central repository of patient information, allowing users across departments to tap into the same updated information needed to make timely care decisions. It is also built to enhance EHR through all cycles of patient interaction in the healthcare system, from scheduling through billing.

As a record-keeping system, the EAD meets HIPAA privacy regulations and also maintains records for use among doctors, employers, and insurance companies. Because it is so valuable for patient accounts, EAD is already common in most Siemens-based systems. HIT professionals working within the Siemens HIS will most likely encounter the Enterprise Access Directory and its subset of tools, and a working knowledge of the framework is key.

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Within the Siemens healthcare information system, the Lifetime Clinical Record (LCR) module exists to enable access to data from a single reference point. This consolidated repository contains more than just the patient information for the current medical issue—it also keeps all the historical clinical data from varying departments and sources.

For large healthcare organizations, having a data storage option like Lifetime Clinical Record means that the amount of paperwork and time needed to reference patient data are both greatly reduced. It also ensures that all reporting and billing go through a single source for lower rates of errors and duplication. LCR may be used within the Siemens HIS in conjunction with the Enterprise Access Directory. Together, these tools provide a better way to handle EMRs in a clinical capacity.

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The syngo imaging software offered through the Siemens line of products allows users to clarify and share clinical cases, applications, and images in a radiology setting. Designed as an educational and training platform as well as a faster way to diagnose and disseminate findings, the syngo suite of tools draws on both imaging and technology to reach the next level of disease treatment and interaction.

In addition to the visual and imaging aspects of the software, users have additional advantages to share data and integrate imaging modalities into the HIT network via enhanced workflows and portals. That’s why HIT professionals with syngo experience are a key asset in Siemens infrastructure building and maintenance. The syngo system can be used as a standalone feature or integrated into the existing Siemens clinical network, and the ability to navigate both platforms can help boost education, training, and disease identification at all levels of the healthcare setting.

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The Siemens’ Cardiology application is part of the Soarian line of technology products. Helping to manage processes and data related to the cardiovascular field, this service-line solution is designed to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of a medical practice just as much as patient health outcomes.

At its most basic level, the Cardiology application can be used to process patient information and keep updated accounts accessible across the Siemens line of products. At a more advanced level, it also provides a data repository, workflow management, and reporting tools for use by management and administration. The Cardiology system is closely linked with all of the Soarian products, and HIT building and maintenance is typically done in conjunction with other Siemens needs.

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No Siemens HIS system is complete without a PACS Disaster Recovery system in place. Data loss due to natural disasters, human error, and other unforeseen catastrophes can be damaging to any business setting—but never more so than in a healthcare setting, where patient information is a matter of life and death. That’s why this disaster recovery and business continuity service is so integrated into the Soarian and Siemens products.

Having an HIT consultant with Siemens experience means PACS Disaster Recovery is that much closer at hand. It is tightly integrated into the existing Siemens system and can be fully automated to minimize system slowdowns. When combined with other IT managed services like advanced data storage, system maintenance, and systems monitoring, the result is a solid infrastructure that will continue to support a healthcare organization no matter what lies ahead.

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The Siemens Net Access application allows doctors to access patient information from any location in which they have access to the Internet. From time-sensitive lab results to radiology images shared through the syngo system, the information available via Net Access saves doctors from having to make unnecessary trips into the hospital or from missing the data they need to make decisions related to immediate care.

Net Access is a secure network that meets HIPAA and most hospital regulations for patient privacy and security. Integration of the system into the Siemens network is fairly straightforward, but requires the management of an HIT professional qualified to work within the Siemens system.

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Project Management for the Siemens healthcare information system requires an extensive working knowledge of the complete suite of Siemens and Soarian products. Because Siemens offers such a broad range of patient information products and imaging technology tools, there is a need for HIT professionals who can build, integrate, maintain, and manage products at various places within the overall infrastructure. A strong training component for healthcare staff is also key.

In addition to streamlining the EHR/EMR system already in place within the hospital setting, the right HIT project manager can also provide cost-effective solutions that change the way a healthcare organization looks at its accounts management. From evaluating the current system and implementing new tools to running reports on the new efficiencies, Siemens project management is all about organizing resources to improve hospital performance.

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The HDX Integrated Eligibility Service is a Siemens-based product that helps users verify patient information and billing/insurance status to ensure that coverage is in place before an appointment occurs. Participating payers in the HDX system (which includes Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Medicare, and Medicaid, in addition to others) make it easier for healthcare workers to increase claims acceptance and improve revenue outcomes across the entire system.

Whether the need is for immediate responses to insurance inquiries or fast and easy payment, billing, follow-up, and collection services, the HDX system helps get the financial results organizations need to continue operating successfully. That’s why a professional with HIT build experience within HDX Integrated Eligibility Services and the larger Siemens HIS system can yield immediate results that are felt system-wide.

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