German healthcare network trusts in Join
These days messenger applications are an integral part of social and work life. It is practically impossible to communicate any easier or more efficiently. Accordingly, their usage is also increasing in the clinical workplace. Messenger services in a clinical environment particularly develop their full potential when the various personnel in the healthcare system are connected with each other across sectors. The Kliniken Maria Hilf in Mönchengladbach (Germany) launched the Konsil Netzwerk NRW (a council network in the Federal State North Rhine-Westphalia) and use Join for communication and collaboration with other healthcare providers in the region.
Clinical physicians in radiology and neuroradiology are connected with private practitioners. They can contact the clinic team directly with questions and, for example, send DICOM files such as CT or MRI images. The specialists in the clinic look at the images and can report back directly to the private colleague whether everything is in order or whether the patient needs to be transferred to the clinic, for example. These decisions can be made „on time“, while the patient is still in the treatment room. This eliminates the tedious process of sending CDs by post and waiting for a response. For more complicated questions and a more direct exchange, communication via voice or video call is also possible with Join.
The hospital and the private practitioners benefit equally from such a network: The doctors can bring their expertise directly into the practice of their affiliated colleagues and establish themselves as a valuable partner in regional health care. The private practitioners benefit from quick feedback and easy exchange. Patients do not have to wait for days or even weeks until the examination result arrives – lost time that better can be invested in treatment.
The example from Mönchengladbach proves that a network of experts who can quickly exchange clinical information, experience and knowledge is the first step towards more efficient, cross-sectoral and future-proof patient care.
Out of several hundred projects, the Konsil Netzwerk NRW was selected in the Top 8 for the German Telemedicine Award 2021.
The Konsil Netzwerk NRW makes know-how of a comprehensive center accessible to private practitioners and smaller hospitals via Join.