Sony Business 'workflow' innovations demonstrated at Arab Health

The Sony Business innovations on show will demonstrate the immediate benefits experienced when advanced workflow innovations are put in place at hospitals and clinics; such as increase in speed, efficiency and accuracy when it comes to processing, sharing and communicating vital patient information.

At Arab Health, Sony Business will be focusing on three key developments in hospital/clinic workflow including 'Image Network', 'Telehealth' and 'Netwatch' solutions. Each of these solutions will be present in a simulated hospital environment, representing an essential hospital working practice or function, highlighting the tangible benefits that can be achieved through the use of advanced technology systems.

Sony Business 'DICOM Medical Imaging Network' solutions provide clinicians and support staff with 'anytime, anywhere' access to all the vital patient information and imagery data they need. "Clinicians and support staff no longer need to rely on time consuming physical distribution of documents and film-based material, instead they will enjoy timely and efficient access to high quality digital images through a networked environment," said Juergen Thiem, Senior Manager, Healthcare Business Development, Sony Business, Europe. "Access to digital information from a large number of departments - radiology, cardiology, lab results and patient historical records - will result in fast and accurate diagnosis and treatment as well as cost savings."

'Telehealth' solutions from Sony Business come in the shape of advanced videoconferencing technologies offering high quality picture and audio. They enable clinical staff to offer personal advice to patients anywhere without the need for physical presence; view an x-ray or surgical procedure without being on-site; or simply consult with a colleague across continents for a second opinion. With integrated 'Telehealth' solutions, medical staff will also enjoy the benefits of recording video and still images for sharing, display, printing or direct incorporation with hospital PACS systems.

The third solution on show will be 'Netwatch', Sony Business's networked video monitoring systems which deliver moving colour images wherever they are required. They can be integrated with existing IT infrastructure to offer dramatically reduced installation and support costs. "Demand for solutions such as 'Netwatch' in hospitals are becoming increasingly important, as they provide staff with an extra pair of eyes, helping them to assess progress in a recovery room, observe patients in critical care unit and additional night watch cover," said Thiem. "Given also that Sony Business has identified the Dubai Healthcare City as an important regional medical centre that will need to have in place state-of-the-art facilities enabling them to share patient's information and diagnosis across the region and internationally, we believe that our integrated innovative 'workflow' solutions will play a critical role in realizing this."

Requiring no special cabling or CCTV screens, 'Netwatch' represents a flexible and highly affordable networked video monitoring solution that links cameras via the hospitals' standard data networks or the Internet. Discreet cameras can be placed in strategic areas around the hospital/clinic, and images viewed via a normal PC and web browser, allowing doctors and other medical staff to view an operating theatre, a ward, or a private room anywhere in the hospital or around the world.