Microsoft Teams® and AGFA HealthCare XERO® Universal Viewer

Secure, virtual collaboration across the enterprise – combined with “anywhere, anytime” access to the patient’s holistic imaging history

Immediate collaboration with colleagues, wherever they are, has become even more important than ever. 

By integrating Microsoft Teams and AGFA HealthCare XERO® Universal Viewer, Microsoft and AGFA HealthCare have created a secure virtual meeting space that enables “anywhere, anytime” instant connection and image sharing – all from a single, familiar platform. 

Care team members from across multiple specialties can post imaging content to a Microsoft Teams channel in order to virtually discuss medical cases and provide treatment-decision support, for efficient decision-making and improved delivery of clinical care. 

AGFA HealthCare - MS Teams

‘Instant collaboration’ without boundaries 

Fast and secure communication between care providers is key to timely treatment. The integrated Microsoft Teams and XERO Universal Viewer platform revolutionizes how care providers collaborate.

  • Instead of spending time to locate a colleague for a consult, the physician simply shares the images on the relevant channel in Microsoft Teams. 
  • Multiple clinicians can discuss the images either by video or chat, in ad hoc or scheduled multidisciplinary team meetings. 
  • Colleagues can join in the discussion from anywhere, with any mobile device. There is no need to log in on a hospital computer. 
  • Remote- and home-working colleagues can collaborate and share information online, safely and securely. 
  • Any hospital can gain access to a virtual group of specialists, spread across regions, countries and even globally. 

One-click COVID-19 team 

A ‘COVID’ button was programmed for the XERO Universal Viewer navigation bar, enabling physicians to transmit images immediately to a predefined team of specialists, including pulmonologists, infectious disease experts, and more. This has helped eliminate delays in critical care, by creating dedicated virtual triage teams. Hospital staff save time and effort, while improved care coordination may enhance patient outcomes.

covid-19 icon

The Microsoft Teams and XERO Universal Viewer integration can be rolled out to different specialties at your own speed. It has already proven useful for a large number of specialties, including:

  • Radiology

  • Pulmonology

  • Infection disease

  • Critical care

  • Neurology

  • Ophthalmology

  • Dermatology

  • Cardiology

Use case 1

Ad hoc consultations that accelerate treatment decisions

A patient comes into the emergency room during the weekend. After imaging, the physician needs a consult from a specialist, in order to determine the best treatment. 

With just the click of a button in XERO Universal Viewer, the physician shares the image with the appropriate ‘expert’ channel in Microsoft Teams. The specialists in that group each receive a single notification. The specialist who is available immediately responds to the physician, either by commenting on the post or by virtual consultation. Together, they decide on treatment for the patient.

Expert team – engagement

A one-click broadcast of an image sharing link from XERO Universal Viewer or Diagnostic Desktop into MS Teams expert team channel – provide feedback in the chat with simple access to the images.

Accelerate treatment decisions in complicated emergency cases that require expert decision support by enabling ad hoc virtual consultation with relevant images at hand.

Immediate image sharing and ad hoc consultations are also particularly useful for:

  • Rural hospitals without in-house specialists
  • After hours and during night shifts
  • Time-sensitive emergency situations such as stroke cases
  • Teaching hospitals, to enhance communication between residents and senior doctors
  • Diagnosis support for resident physicians

Use case 2

Collaboration sessions improve efficiency of treatment decisions

A patient comes into the emergency room, and is diagnosed with a stroke. Timely assessment and treatment are key factors in the patient’s short- and long-term outcome.

With one click from XERO Universal Viewer (or the diagnostic desktop), the physician launches a collaboration session with the stroke team. All team members are able to immediately connect, in order to make informed and shared decisions on treatment, and to coordinate care.

Expert team – collaboration

A one-click broadcast of a collaboration session from XERO or Diagnostic Desktop into MS Teams expert team channel. Join a live discussion, dynamically collaborate in group with the images at hand.

Accelerate treatment decisions in complicated emergency cases that require expert decision support by enabling ad hoc virtual consultation with relevant images at hand.

Immediate image sharing and ad hoc consultations
are also particularly useful for:

  • Rural hospitals without in-house specialists
  • After hours and during night shifts
  • Time-sensitive emergency situations such as stroke cases
  • Teaching hospitals, to enhance communication between residents and senior doctors
  • Diagnosis support for resident physicians

Related Solutions

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