Cooperation to Advance Diagnostic Imaging Workflow Systems

Agfa HealthCare (Mortsel, Belgium), a leading provider of information technology- (IT)-enabled clinical workflow and diagnostic imaging systems, and the Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel Hospital, linked to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel University (Free University of Brussels, Belgium), have signed a long term agreement to advance current research surrounding hospital IT and diagnostic imaging systems.

The research will focus on advancements in IT and diagnostic imaging workflow systems. The contract covers core projects designed to improve clinical IT workflow systems (supporting patient scheduling, reporting, medical documentation, image management, advanced decision support) and to deliver next generation clinical imaging applications, with a view to improved disease management.

The agreement is part of an extensive research program run by Agfa HealthCare across a number of academic institutions, as well as national and international healthcare initiatives. In support of the agreement, Agfa HealthCare and the Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel Hospital have set up a professorial chair to help advance research related to healthcare informatics and medical image processing.

"This level of co-operation is key to the future of healthcare, which requires collaboration between academic and industrial partners, bringing the best of both worlds together for the benefit of patients worldwide,” stated Philippe Houssiau, president of Agfa HealthCare. "Our agreement with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel University will allow us to actively continue our pursuit of evidence-based solutions and innovations to meet the ever growing needs of our customers in the near future.”

IT systems in hospitals are designed to improve overall efficiency, reduce cost, and improve patient care and safety. An increasing number of hospitals are currently implementing enterprise IT systems throughout their facilities, designed to more effectively link up clinical and administrative work and cross-departmental information.

Recent research supported by Agfa Healthcare has revealed that European hospitals are increasingly investing in IT infrastructure to improve their overall efficiency, with over 42% of hospitals surveyed currently spending between 2 and 5% of their annual operating budget on IT systems. This level of spending is expected to increase over the coming years, with 75% of all hospitals surveyed indicating that IT systems are already a key strategic requirement for them in the short term.


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Agfa HealthCare
Free University of Brussels