Healthcare Success Stories

Software Development Methodology

Increase customer confidence through improved quality and timeliness of product delivered to customer including software and hardware components. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Software requirements and design process implemented.
  • Formal data-modeling techniques introduced into technical design process.
  • Project management used to control scope and deliver product enhancements on time.
  • Partnered with PC manufacturer to deliver PCs, allowing company to focus on core business of developing pharmacy systems.

Project Synopsis

CTS was enlisted by a leading provider of pharmacy systems to the healthcare industry, to implement changes in its software development life cycle. The company had successfully developed a leading product for the middle market, but was experiencing issues related to continuing product enhancements for its customer base while also developing new features needed to obtain new customers. A thorough audit of the existing software development process was conducted by senior CTS consultants, resulting in a detailed summary of recommendations and a prioritized list of action items to be undertaken by the company. Included in these action items were improved deliverables for: requirements definition, functional design, technical design, configuration management, quality assurance, and software deployment. CTS then worked with the leadership and staff of the client to implement these changes. As a result, the client was able to improve time-to-market of enhancements while increasing quality and customer satisfaction.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal Reports

TCP/IP Communication Library for HL7

Improve interfaces to hospital systems by providing the capability to interface using TCP/IP. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Reduced complexity of developing interface software.
  • Developed communication library that simultaneously supports both serial and TCP/IP communication using a common API.
  • Improved performance and reliability of system interfaces.

Project Synopsis

CTS developed a low-level communication library supporting serial and TCP/IP communication. This library was then utilized by the application to receive and transmit HL7 formatted message between the client's system and multiple hospital systems. This feature expanded the client's market as TCP/IP was emerging as a required interface standard in the industry and was not a part of the client's prior offerings. This software was specified in conjunction with the client and then developed in CTS' Milwaukee office. The product was delivered on time, under budget, fully functional, and with detailed documentation.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7

Physician Medication Order Entry

Reduce medication and transcription errors. Provide physicians with clinical information about medications at the time of order entry. Provide tools to assist in identifying interacting medications and adverse reactions to medications while providing published recommendations on medications. Integrate with pharmacy systems to achieve better communication between clinicians. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Completely outsourced the development of this application allowing the customer to deliver multiple products to the marketplace in a short period of time.
  • Created a technical architecture to support scalable applications in future development efforts.

Project Synopsis

CTS worked with the client to define product requirements and then leveraged its clinically experienced staff to refine these requirements through the functional and technical design phases. During this period a scalable COM+ architecture was designed and implemented. Once the requirements were finalized and the architecture was proven, the application was developed using object oriented principles in order to create the building blocks of this application and future applications. The user interface was developed on top of these objects to create the application used by clinicians to enter medication orders.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQL

Clinical Decision Support Interface

Provide published information from multiple clinical decision support vendors such as Micromedex and First Data Bank to clinicians at the point of care. Allow multiple applications to use shared objects enabling access to clinical decision support information from alternative vendors. Provide customers with options to switch between different vendors easily based on the quality of the information and/or the pricing of such information and tools. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Implemented an abstracted view of clinical decision support systems supporting on-the-fly selection of clinical decision support vendors.
  • Fully implemented applications using Micromedex as the initial preferred vendor.

Project Synopsis

CTS reviewed the capabilities and specifications of multiple vendor solutions to create a shared interface that could be used with each system. These objects were written in Delphi.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQLMicromedex CKO Server, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL

Bi-Directional HL-7 Order Communication Interface

Ensure that the integrity of medication orders is maintained in multiple systems, each allowing modifications to the orders. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Defined and implemented appropriate messages and rules necessary to maintain order consistency between physician order entry, pharmacy, and medication charting applications.

Project Synopsis

CTS worked with clinicians and technical staff to define proper HL-7 order message sequences necessary to maintain the proper state of orders between systems. Detailed sequence diagrams were constructed to capture this design and to serve as the blueprint for implementation. COM+ was used to implement business logic and to maintain the integrity of orders using appropriate transaction management techniques. These interfaces were tested rigorously to verify their integrity under common and infrequent scenarios.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQLMicromedex CKO Server, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL HL-7, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL

Handheld Medication Charting

Provide a portable medication charting system that will increase the accuracy of medication administration and thus reduce negative patient outcomes associated with medication errors. The handheld application implements a subset of capabilities available in a concurrently developed desktop application. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Display patient medication orders
  • Display medication administration history
  • Barcode scan patient, medication and caregiver to reduce errors in administration
  • Record patient vitals and outcomes
  • Propagate administration, vitals, and outcomes to multiple systems
  • Developed a wireless version of this application to leverage existing user interface, while supporting wireless synchronization.

Project Synopsis

Worked with client to define functional and technical requirements of the charting application. Implemented defined solution in an iterative approach with client to ensure the desktop and handheld application would achieve comparable workflows in spite of their different form factors. Developed a wireless version of this application to support wireless synchronization over secure communication channels.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQLMicromedex CKO Server, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL HL-7, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQLWindows CE, MS Embedded Visual Tools, ActiveSync, MS SQL Server, Delphi, SQL, Barcode Scanners, XML, SSL, HTTPS, MS IIS, ASP

Internet Referral and Consultation Application

Improve communication between referring physicians and the hospital. Shorten response time to referring physicians' inquiries. Capture metrics on the effectiveness of turning consultation into referrals. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • The project is in the pilot phase and metrics have not yet been gathered to support accomplishment claims.

Project Synopsis

CTS developed an Internet application, for a Milwaukee Hospital, to allow external physicians and their extenders to refer patients and consult with a hospital physician. The communication is facilitated by a call center interface. A clinic, group, and management interface was also developed. The interface gives a "group manager" the ability to manage the physicians, extenders, and the physician-extender relationship for that group.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQLMicromedex CKO Server, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL HL-7, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQLWindows CE, MS Embedded Visual Tools, ActiveSync, MS SQL Server, Delphi, SQL, Barcode Scanners, XML, SSL, HTTPS, MS IIS, ASPJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQL

Clinical Trials Database

Increase visibility and awareness of available Clinical Trials. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Reduced manual efforts in maintaining and publishing Clinical Trials.
  • Allowed physicians, participants, and interested parties to view available clinical trials in real-time.
  • Enabled nursing staff to edit, review, publish, and archive clinical trials.

Project Synopsis

CTS developed a clinical trial repository and made it available on the website of a major Milwaukee hospital. The repository has multiple points of access depending on the role of a visitor. The public views certain information about a trial and is able to search all published trials. A reviewer is able to view all information and is able to give feedback. An editor is able to edit, publish and archive clinical trials. Clinical Trials are made available to search engines through a scheduled nightly extract. The extract transforms dynamic data into links readable by search engines.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQLMicromedex CKO Server, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL HL-7, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQLWindows CE, MS Embedded Visual Tools, ActiveSync, MS SQL Server, Delphi, SQL, Barcode Scanners, XML, SSL, HTTPS, MS IIS, ASPJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQLJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQL

Content Management System

Decrease the cost of maintaining a website by allowing non-technical personel to add and expire content. Increase accuracy of the data on the website by allowing subject experts to contribute directly to the site and review and approve content before publishing. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Greatly reduced the time it takes to update information on the website.
  • Allowed non-technical personel, who generally are the domain experts, to publish to the website in a risk-free and easy manner.
  • Allowed for versioning of the website.

Project Synopsis

CTS developed a content management system for a major Milwaukee Hospital. The system manages the dynamic aspects of the site including: publications and periodicals; training courses and schedule; employment opportunities; feature stories and more. In addition, user management is extended to an admin user. This includes: assigning and un-assigning user roles, activating and de-activating users, and managing a user profile.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQLMicromedex CKO Server, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL HL-7, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQLWindows CE, MS Embedded Visual Tools, ActiveSync, MS SQL Server, Delphi, SQL, Barcode Scanners, XML, SSL, HTTPS, MS IIS, ASPJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQLJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQLJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQL

Internet Financial Portal

Speed the delivery of hospital financial statements to institutional investors by providing a publication mechanism of the statements to a portal. Read more...

Project Accomplishments

  • Reduced manual efforts in packaging and mailing statements.
  • Improved the time it takes to deliver statements to investors.
  • Empowered investors by providing tools to manage their own profile and subscriptions.

Project Synopsis

CTS developed a portal for investors in a major healthcare organization. The portal is customized to the investor's options. The portal access and content is managed by a content management system developed by CTS. The system allows the finance department to grant permission to investors to view the statements. The editing, review, and publication of the statements and other content of the portal are also managed by the content management system.

Technologies

C, VB, ASSET, Data Architect, MS Project, Access, Visio, MS Office, SQL Server, Crystal ReportsC/C++, Win32 API, Windows NT, TCP/IP, WinSock, GreenLeaf, RS-232, HL7COM+, Delphi, MS SQL Server, SQLMicromedex CKO Server, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQL HL-7, Delphi, COM+, MS SQL Server, SQLWindows CE, MS Embedded Visual Tools, ActiveSync, MS SQL Server, Delphi, SQL, Barcode Scanners, XML, SSL, HTTPS, MS IIS, ASPJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQLJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQLJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQLJava, JSP, Java Servlets, HTML, JavaScript, PL/SQL