The second-largest region in Denmark decides on a single clinical information system

The Central Denmark Region has chosen to implement the Columna clinical information system supplied by Systematic in full at all the hospitals in the region. Systematic sees this as an indication of even greater likelihood of success in export markets.

18 June 2010

On 16 June 2010, Region Midtjylland (Central Denmark Region) – one of the five regional bodies responsible for running the hospitals in Denmark – decided to adopt the Columna clinical information system supplied by Systematic as the standard clinical information system for all the hospitals in the region.

This means that the Columna system will replace the five different legacy systems that the regional administration inherited from the previous Danish hospital administration set-up, which had been based on a larger number of country councils. This structure was abolished in 2007. Using one standardised clinical information system, it will be easy for the hospitals in the Central Denmark Region to exchange patient information effectively, and thus implement more efficient treatment frameworks.

This decision by the Central Denmark Region was, of course, well received by Systematic. Throughout the development of the Columna clinical information system, the company has worked closely with the current administrative body as well as with its precursor – Århus Amt (the County of Århus).

“Healthcare is a strategically important business unit for Systematic, and we are proud of our efforts in this field. We have made substantial investments in the development of our clinical information system, with the result that we can now provide customers with one of the most advanced solutions of its kind available anywhere in the world,” says Michael Holm, President and CEO of the Systematic Group.

Michael Holm also notes that over recent years Systematic has been experiencing increasing interest from the world outside Denmark. This is why Systematic was able to recruit the 50-year-old American Dino Rinaldi, previously the chief technology officer of the British Telecom healthcare division. Dino Rinaldi had been working with computer systems for the healthcare industry in the United Kingdom, and is now vice president for business development and sales in the Healthcare division of Systematic, with special responsibility for the development of the Columna clinical information system.

“There is substantial international demand for ready-to-use, fully integrated clinical information systems,” says Dino Rinaldi, whose previous employment has given him in-depth familiarity with the different clinical information systems currently on the market.

Improved patient safety and greater efficiency

According to Dino Rinaldi, ”most of the clinical information systems on the world market are based on the payment flows for individual patients, and are rooted in other administrative processes. The Columna system, on the other hand, makes an active contribution to improved patient safety and greater efficiency. Columna actually helps doctors and nurses carry out their day-to-day tasks – right from diagnostics, planning, care and treatment processes to communication between the different members of healthcare teams – more easily and more effectively. This applies just as much at local, regional and national levels, with a view to ensuring closer integration between different aspects of patient care.”

He also points out, ”these are the kind of benefits and payoffs that get people’s attention when we make presentations about the Columna clinical information system to audiences outside Denmark.” As Dino Rinaldi also notes, ”the Columna clinical information system gets good reviews as being a technically advanced solution that is both user-friendly and dynamic. The latter characteristic is particularly important – it means the system can easily accommodate the ongoing adjustments necessary to deal with the big changes currently rolling over the healthcare sectors in virtually all countries”.

All the information in one place

Columna consists of an integration platform and five specialised modules that deal with particular functions. The integration platform links the modules together, and deals with storing the data at the heart of the clinical information system.

”Columna gathers and integrates all the information about each patient’s course of treatment within one single computer system. In addition to dealing with the many notes that healthcare staff have to enter into each patient’s file, the Systematic solution deals with everything from booking suitable slots in operating theatres to information about prescribed medication, from the results of blood tests to providing appropriate discharge letters,” explains Dino Rinaldi.

Columna is already fully implemented at the Regional Hospital of Randers and Grenaa, which rolled out the two newest Columna modules in spring of this year. Several other hospitals in the Central Denmark Region already use the Columna medication module, and the order & result module.

The Central Denmark Region now aims to have the Columna clinical information system implemented in all the hospitals within the region by the end of 2011.


Learn more:
Facts about Columna
Columna consists of different specialised modules
International sales and marketing