Centralised economic and operation system for the network of health institutes in operation

The Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic interconnected the network of all health institutes in the territory of the Czech Republic. The centralisation was carried out at the level of the restructuring of management, administration and operation, as well as through integration of information systems. The centralised economic and operation system was created and implemented by the Aquasoft company in a customised manner.

Health institutes ("HI’s") are a very important provider of healthcare, laboratory and expert services in the Czech Republic, intended for both legal entities and individuals. The core of the HI’s is formed by clinical laboratories for investigation of materials from healthcare facilities and hygiene laboratories for investigation of samples and measurement in work areas as well as in the environment. The number of such laboratories in the Czech Republic is approximately 100. A part of the HI network is formed also by the National Reference Laboratories dealing with tasks of a nation-wide importance and reach.

HI’s are, from economic as well as operation and administration points of view, a complex conglomerate of various systems which have, however, a common purpose, importance as well as scope of activities and the common founder, i.e. the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. It is just this Ministry that launched (in 2009) a gradual organisational and administrative centralisation which is supported by the building up of the information system, and at the same time by expression of the system restructuring of management, administration and operation. The aim of the centralisation process is to increase the effectiveness of the HI network activities, mainly through a reduction of their number (from 14 HI’s to 6 administrative units) and through concentration of professional, technical as well as personnel resources. The restructuring process will lead to significant savings, as it facilitates an increase in competitiveness and effectiveness towards commercial laboratories.

The centralised economic and operation system "Microsoft Dynamics AX" has replaced several originally used information systems for various agendas. It covers all subsystems and areas which the health institutes need in their economic and administration systems: Finance and Accounting, Assets, Procurement, Sales, Inventory Management, CRM, Supplier Relations Management, Bank and Treasury. Jaroslav Šuvarský, Project Manager of the Aquasoft company, explains: “An allowance organisation has, unlike a business entity, a number of specific features, and therefore it was necessary, within the framework of implementation at health institutes, to significantly modify and extend the standard solution "MS Dynamics AX."

A part of the solution is also the integration with LabSys laboratory systems. These are used by executive laboratory staff members (such as microbiologists, chemists, etc.) who have to specify professional task items (calculation sheets) for the charging of these services. Thanks to the new system of synoptic and updated forms, the laboratory can provide the data in a fast, effective and true way.

The new IS is also an important contribution for managers in health institutes. At present they have true background data at their disposal for decision making in a suitable form: current overview of revenues and their development, about the structure of the services sold, number and composition of customers, etc.