Rising Public Awareness Promoting Acceptance Of Infection Surveillance Systems Across Europe

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Also Included In: Public Health;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 05 May 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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Initiatives taken by European governments and healthcare authorities to install infection surveillance systems have aimed at improving efficiency levels and reducing expenditure. However, the lack of basic level automation is proving to be a major challenge.

"There is tremendous political pressure from governments across Europe to install infection surveillance systems in hospitals, due to the rising number of deaths being attributed to nosocomial infections," notes Frost & Sullivan  Programme Leader Konstantinos Nikolopoulos. "Hospitals are installing infection surveillance systems depending on individual protocols and different venues of care."

Mandatory rules have been established with regard to the setting up of infection surveillance systems in hospitals. The kind of systems installed in hospitals varies according to the regulations existing in the particular country and region.'

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides a brief synopsis of the research and a table of contents of Frost & Sullivan's new study, Infection Surveillance Systems Market in Europe, then send an e-mail to Katja Feick, Corporate Communications, at katja.feick@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brochure will be sent to you by e-mail.

Infection surveillance systems depend on existing systems such as electronic medical record (EMR), laboratory information systems and patient administration systems. The lack of even such basic level automation is emerging as a major challenge to sustained market expansion.

"A key reason why the lack of basic level automation is hindering the installation of infection surveillance systems is that these systems are interconnected," explains Nikolopoulos. "Infection surveillance systems collect data for analysis from existing EMR and laboratory systems, among others."

Another challenge relates to the degree of priority accorded to these systems. Governments will not agree to buy an infection surveillance system before acquiring more basic equipment since the latter are regarded as being much more important for hospitals.

Designing an appropriate system is not enough. Vendors must also try to develop good working relationships with hospital workers. In particular, it is critical to build ties with clinicians or nurses who are aware of the importance of infection surveillance systems.

"Hospital decision makers need to be convinced about the financial and clinical benefits that result on a department-wise basis when infection surveillance systems are installed," concludes Nikolopoulos.

Infection Surveillance Systems Market in Europe is part of the Healthcare & Life Sciences IT Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Regulations Affecting European Healthcare IT, Primary Care Information Systems Market in Europe, Pharmaceuticals and Drugs Market in Brazil, Laboratory Information Systems Market in Europe, and European Market for Imaging in Healthcare. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Source
http://www.healthcareIT.frost.com

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