SERVICES SERVICES

DIAGNOSTIC CENTRES

OUTPATIENT FACILITIES

Medipass manages diagnostic centres that operate privately or within the free public health service. Medipass also operates directly in its own clinics, or on behalf of healthcare facilities such as private hospitals or local health services, by taking over the management of all activities needed to deliver diagnostic services (appointment booking, evaluation of test results, provision of equip-ment and consumables).
In addition to diagnostic imaging, examinations by medical specialists, lab test-ing and rehabilitation services are also provided. Payments of the managed service is generally based on a share of the price (or tariff) of the procedure delivered. The seamless interaction of several Medipass services supports the management of state-of-the-art diagnostic centres, to the benefit of service quality standards.

CASE HISTORY

In the Bologna area, Medipass manages multispecialty diagnostic centres that operate as part of the free Regional Health Service. The centres, usually located on premises provided by the Local Health Service, are scattered throughout the province of Bologna and have become reference points for the local healthcare. The service is the result of the need of the Local Health Authority to outsource initial diagnostic services to a specialised partner that can guarantee a high-quality and cost-effective service whilst adopting an optimised management model of radiotherapy services in the region. The procedures delivered (conventional radiology, ultrasound scanning and mammography] are also offered privately.

Medipass, as manager of the facility, provides staff (specialised physicians, technicians and administrators), equipment and handles equipment maintenance. A portion of the equipment is taken over from the institution. The hospital authority provides the main support functions, whereas several roles necessary for the proper running of the facility (such as radiation protection staff, health and safety supervisors (RSPP), clinical engineers, staff managers, logistics and acquisitions) merge and cooperate. Payments are issued only once the service is provided: fee-for-service (with freely agreed prices for each type of service). AUSL can thus be exempt from fixed costs or specific investments, whilst transferring several management risks to the manager (such as the risk of equipment downtime, the risk of falling demand, availability and human resource management).

As part of the agreement with AUSL in Casalecchio di Reno the integration of the accredited Diagnostic Service at the new premises of Casa della Salute was completed in 2016. During the construction of the new building and the transfer of the service from the old building in via Garibaldi, AUSL and Medipass yet again cooperated successfully and with clear deadlines to carry out the monitoring, planning and execution of construction projects and installation of the diagnostic imaging area, seeking the best solutions for users of the service. At the moment, the centre has various radiation equipment (skeletal survey with “long length” tool, teleradiography unit, remote controlled table, digital panoramic radiography equipment, densitometer, digital mammography unit, MRI scanners), in addition to printers and integrated RIS-PACS connected to the AUSL system. The centre is operated by over 30 people, including physicians, healthcare technicians and administrators.

SEE OTHER EXPERIENCES