A longstanding partnership with PICIS

Petteri Kujala, ICT Specialist at Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, provides valuable insights into their experience with PICIS and how it has transformed operations over the past two decades.

A longstanding partnership with PICIS

Päijät-Häme Central Hospital has a rich history of using PICIS, dating back over 24 years. Petteri reveals that the hospital was the first adopter of the solution in Finland. PICIS became a key part of the ICU and Anesthesia operations, replacing paper-based systems and manual record-keeping with a digital solution that offers flexibility, stability, and integration across departments. Petteri notes:

“PICIS is extremely stable, which is critical in a hospital setting. It’s also very flexible; we can configure it ourselves without needing to contact the PICIS product team for every little change.”

The role of flexibility in day-to-day operations

A standout feature of PICIS, according to Petteri, is its configurability. The hospital’s team can make adjustments to the system based on their specific needs, a capability that reduces dependence on external support and allows for faster implementation of changes. Petteri, who manages system administration, mentions that a team of trained “super users” – nurses from various departments – also contributes to system updates and configurations.

“We have four super users across different units – ICU, surgery, and intermediate wards – who are capable of making configuration changes. While they consult me for oversight, they are fully trained to manage the system themselves,” Petteri explains.

This internal flexibility not only streamlines the system’s maintenance but also empowers the clinical staff to have direct control over their workflows.

Seamless integration across departments

Päijät-Häme Central Hospital has expanded its use of PICIS by initiating the implementation of the OR Manager, OR Scheduler, and SmarTrack Next modules. PICIS’s primary advantage lies in its ability to seamlessly integrate different departments and functions, which will significantly improve the hospital’s surgical management processes. Once the OR Manager and Scheduler are fully operational, all surgical information will be consolidated within the PICIS system, streamlining workflows and enhancing overall efficiency. Importantly, this marks the first installation of the OR Manager module in Europe, a significant milestone in PICIS’s adoption across the region.

“In the future, once the implementation is complete, everything will be handled within PICIS – from when the patient is scheduled for surgery to their care in the ICU, if necessary. It will all be part of the same system, with data shared across modules. This will be a significant benefit compared to other hospitals that use multiple, unintegrated systems,” Petteri says.

The fully integrated solution reduces the risk of errors that can arise from duplicating information across different systems, improving both operational efficiency and patient safety.

Efficiency in nursing staff allocation

Another key benefit that Petteri emphasizes is the solution’s role in improving resource management, especially in times of staffing shortages. PICIS enables staff, particularly nurses, to move seamlessly between departments, thanks to the unified system.

“While it’s not always easy to move staff, having PICIS in place ensures that the EMR system isn’t an obstacle. Nurses trained in the ICU can transition to recovery or other units without needing additional training on a different system, making staff allocation more efficient, which is crucial given the current nursing shortage,” Petteri remarks.

This flexibility in staff deployment has a direct impact on patient care, as nurses can be reallocated based on need without compromising the quality of service.

Reducing surgery wait times

One of the hospital’s current challenges is the length of its surgical waiting lists. Petteri expresses hope that by optimizing their surgery processes through PICIS, they can significantly reduce wait times and increase the number of surgeries performed.

“With the support of PICIS, we believe there’s potential to optimize our operations, which might even allow us to open an additional operating room and help reduce wait times,” Petteri says.

By streamlining workflows and improving efficiency, the hospital aims to maximize its operating room capacity, ultimately delivering faster care to patients.

The future of PICIS at Päijät-Häme Central Hospital

As healthcare evolves, so too does PICIS. Petteri highlights the continuous development of the system, noting that it has been modernized and enhanced over the years. The hospital’s close relationship with Dedalus has also contributed to the system’s smooth operation.

“The support from Dedalus has been excellent. We get immediate responses, and the technical expertise from their team, especially from experts with 30 years of experience, has been invaluable,” Petteri shares.

Conclusion: A commitment to innovation and patient care

The adoption of PICIS at Päijät-Häme Central Hospital demonstrates the power of integrated healthcare solutions in enhancing both operational efficiency and patient outcomes. As Kujala Petteri and his team continue to develop and refine their use of PICIS, the hospital stands as a leading example of how technology can transform healthcare delivery.

For Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, PICIS is not just a system – it’s an essential part of their commitment to providing better, safer, and more efficient care for their patients.

 

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