Agfa HealthCare Scores Highest Rated in Overall Satisfaction for Universal Viewer in Latest KLAS Enterprise Imaging Report

MORTSEL, Belgium, January 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

• KLAS Performance Report 2016 shows Agfa HealthCare's VNA and Universal Viewer as only vendor with increased satisfaction
• Report notes that early data indicates Agfa HealthCare is "having good success connecting multiple service lines with their VNA* and universal viewer
• Agfa HealthCare acts as a partner in customers' enterprise imaging strategies. One provider stated "Agfta does both advisory and solution work for us"
• Report addresses "Myth of Deconstructed PACS" in North American Market

While the expectations of healthcare providers from their vendor neutral archive* (VNA) and universal viewer vendors have risen in the past year, says a new report by KLAS, Agfa HealthCare customers are increasingly satisfied with the company's Enterprise Imaging solution.

These were amongst the findings of the "Enterprise Imaging 2016: Early Leaders in a Growing Market" report. The report speaks to Enterprise Imaging having "the potential to revolutionize patient care across the continuum by consolidating critical patient images and integrating them into the clinician workflow".

An enterprise imaging partner  

Independent research firm KLAS is known for honestly, accurately and impartially measuring vendor performance on behalf of healthcare providers. KLAS data and reports represent the combined opinions of actual people from provider organizations comparing how their vendors, products, and/or services performed when measured against participants' objectives and expectations. Findings are a unique compilation of candid opinions, and are real measurements representing those individuals interviewed. KLAS can thus provide a transparent window into what users actually think of products.

In the report released in December 2016, Agfa HealthCare customers testified to their increased levels of satisfaction with the company's Enterprise Imaging solution, including its VNA and universal viewer. According to the report, "Potential enterprise imaging customers are looking at Agfa HealthCare more than ever before. Agfa HealthCare's solution is solid overall and provides decent functionality and above-average integration."

The study also noted that Agfa HealthCare can play a clear and significant role in healthcare providers' enterprise imaging strategies. One customer specified, "Agfa HealthCare is a major partner in our enterprise imaging strategy. We make sure our roadmaps are aligned."

A true enterprise imaging platform 

Agfa HealthCare's Enterprise Imaging is a workflow-oriented solution. It provides all imaging applications and services on a single modern IT platform, with 64-bit architecture that enables a single integration point into the EMR. Extremely fast software, intuitive use, dedicated clinical tools and a powerful workflow engine maximize productivity while keeping cost of ownership exceptionally low. Going far beyond the traditional PACS, the platform supports multi-specialty collaboration, image exchange, shared working and mobility, as well as patient-focused healthcare.

The Enterprise Imaging VNA offers a robust solution for enterprise archiving of DICOM and non-DICOM data, with intelligent lifecycle management tools and maximum interoperability. It consolidates imaging data, from multiple systems, departments, facilities and vendors, into a central clinical data foundation. Images from all patients are in one archive, and multimedia patient imaging records can be shared across the healthcare enterprise and beyond. Data ownership, migration and storage costs are reduced, while management is simplified. And the improved interoperability enables sharing of multimedia patient imaging records across the healthcare enterprise and beyond.

The KLAS report quotes a customer who explained, "Enterprise imaging with Agfa is different in that Agfa offers a platform of services.  Other vendors have a VNA component and tell you that it can connect to outside components. Lots of these components are conglomerations of other vendors' tools or workflows missing in the main system. Most vendors offer a suite of compartmentalized solutions that aren't on the same platform. But Agfa's product is one server and one database, and it does everything as a platform. We can turn functionality on or off by essentially checking a box."

Fast, reliable and secure image access 

The XERO universal viewer - which also includes an FDA-cleared diagnostic viewer - provides secure access to imaging data from different departments and sources or multiple imaging managers, in a consolidated view. It offers enhanced viewing, clinical depth, collaboration and sharing on a single web viewer. Images from the Agfa HealthCare Enterprise Imaging IT platform or third-party VNAs or PACS can be seen in one display.

According to the KLAS report, Agfa HealthCare is one of two vendors offering usable viewers that are fast and reliable, and noted for continually improving their solutions. "I am happy that Agfa is continuing to develop and put resources into the product to make it better," commented one customer.

Another explained, "Enterprise Imaging XERO Viewer is great because it is web based, and it allows our radiologists to look at images from their houses. If they need to look at an image, they can just bring it right up and look at it. The system is just plain and simple to use. We just plug in a URL, and we are there."

The myth of deconstructed PACS 

KLAS also researched the position of "deconstructed PACS", which involves eliminating the PACS entirely and replacing it with the VNA and universal viewer. KLAS commented that this concept is often brought up by "some vendors and consulting firms". However, its own research suggests that it is far from a reality today. Feedback from healthcare organizations indicated that only 4% are actually going down deconstructed PACS strategy and nearly 75% percent are not doing nor considering deconstructed PACS as their go-forward strategy.  While 22 percent are not doing deconstructed PACS, but are still considering it.

A customer specified, "We have Agfa's PACS, VNA, and XERO enterprise viewer. We feel that everything works together, and we have a setup that works really well for enterprise imaging. I don't see us going away from our PACS; what we have done is very functional."

Innovation that meets real expectations 

"We are very pleased that the 2016 report from KLAS shows that our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative image information management services is bearing fruit, in increased satisfaction amongst our customers," comments Bill Corsten, Regional President, North America, Agfa HealthCare. "This report offers direct insight into real customer experiences, and demonstrates that, even as expectations from healthcare providers increase, we are able to meet their evolving needs for tools that enable collaboration, integrated care along the care continuum, population health management, and more. Agfa HealthCare is dedicated to acting as a partner for our customers in developing operating and clinical strategies to meet today's healthcare models."

*Agfa VNA satisfaction scores based on limited data collected by KLAS 

For an image, courtesy of Agfa HealthCare, click here

About Agfa HealthCare  

Agfa HealthCare, present in one hospital out of two, is a leading provider of eHealth & Digital Imaging solutions. Care organizations in over 100 countries rely on Agfa HealthCare to optimize their efficiency and improve patient care.

Miriam Ladin
Director, Marketing Communications, Americas

T +1-401-604-2203
[email protected]

SOURCE Agfa HealthCare