Medical Center Rijnland-Zuid trains, meets and consults in videoconferences
The merger of Sint Clara Hospital and Zuiderziekenhuis in 2002 created Medical Center Rijnland-Zuid (MCRZ), a general hospital with 679 beds spread over two locations in Rotterdam. Location Zuider focuses on acute care, location Clara on elective care. The MCRZ focuses on the general care of patients in the region of Rijnmond.
Since 2005, the surgery department has been using the videoconferencing systems several times a day to handover patients and consult each other. The systems are also used to train interns and assistant physicians as well as to consult specialists in other hospitals.
A few years ago, MCRZ's surgery department saw a live videoconferencing link between the radiotherapy department of the Rotterdam Dijkzigt Hospital and a hospital in the Dutch West Indies and immediately recognized the benefits. Dr. Erwin van der Harst, gastrointestinal surgeon and teacher at MCRZ explains: "The merger that created the MCRZ also dispersed the surgery department across two locations. We often use X-rays and CAT scans during meetings and patient handover. We missed the images during our phone meetings‘, which is why we immediately recognized the benefits of videoconferencing. The surgery department made the investment as part of the 'health care innovation project.' The use of telecommunication equipment considerably improved the collaboration between the team members who are dispersed across both locations. As a hospital with several locations, we noticed that you can achieve higher standardization through videoconferencing."
The surgery department confirms that the availability of videoconferencing has improved communication about patients. Because the videoconferencing systems were immediately used for all kinds of meetings in the surgery department, everyone involved had a stiff learning curve. If there were any sceptics, the use of the systems quickly changed their minds. The doctors now have a lot of experience setting up video conferences, which is why the technology is now fully integrated with our daily activities. This saves us a lot of time, because we no longer have to travel between two locations.
The theoretical part of the training the interns follow in the surgery department is supported by videoconferencing. A weekly discussion group supervised by a surgeon is conducted through a videoconferencing link. An assistant physician gives a presentation after which an interactive discussion takes place between the attending assistant physicians at both locations. Every month, the Regional Training Committee uses a videoconferencing link to meet with members such as Daniel den Hoed Clinic and the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, and the Reinier de Graaf hospital in Delft.
Dr. Van der Harst concludes: "Talk & Vision really helped us choose the videoconferencing systems and installed them to our satisfaction. This technology has enabled the MCRZ to quickly integrate the two locations, which has standardized the workflow and training. We were created by the merger of two surgery clinics and two teaching hospitals in which videoconferencing played a key role. There is certainly a future for video communication in the surgery department. We're thinking of adding another dimension to training by installing a system in the operating room."
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About Medical Center Rijnmond-Zuid
The MCRZ is a big general hospital in the dynamic Randstad, with an interesting, heterogeneous and multicultural patient population. The MCRZ has virtually every basic specialism in house as well as a number of specialties such as interventional cardiology, dialysis, burn wound care, cardiothoracic surgery, Level III intensive care and neurosurgery.
The hospital has the ambition of growing into a leading hospital, with professional quality and customer-service as its two most important pillars. This the hospital wants to achieve by 2010 when everyone will move into the new building.
For further details, please contact:
WMX Communications, Events & Productions
Sandy Bergkamp
Telephone: +31 (0) 6 - 41340801
E-mail: sandybergkamp@videoconference.nl
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