Cardio Vascular Services

A multi-site cardiology practice

Cardio Vascular Services (CVS) is a private cardiology practice operating across Victoria and Western Australia. The practice conducts about 15,000 echo studies each year across 10 clinics.

We spoke with CEO and founder Dr Phillip Currie about working with echocardiograms across a distributed practice, and why CVS selected HeartLab for cardiology imaging and storage. Dr Currie has worked in cardiology for more than 40 years in the United States and Australia.

"The fact I’m no longer tied to one location to view studies and create reports, and I can recall images in real-time and easily share them with my colleagues, has changed my life for the better."

What prompted CVS to look for a new platform?

Dr Currie: Our team went in search of a cloud-based PACS solution that we could rely on for the next few years. After thorough formal evaluation of a number of products we settled on HeartLab. It overcame many of the difficulties we have endured with older technology where providing excellent patient care required much greater effort, and was time consuming and labor intensive.

Sharing studies with specialists outside the organization, e.g. structural interventionalists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and at MDT meetings, is seamless and instantaneous with a link-regardless of their location.

Being able to view studies in progress instantaneously, location-independent, with the technologist has significantly added in helping to ensure a more comprehensive and relevant study and allows immediate diagnosis and direct patient management. Previously we were tethered to one office-based monitor to view the studies because the system was on-premise and not in the cloud. Getting around this was another factor in our search.

Finally, the ability to perform instantaneous side-by-side dual monitor comparison with prior studies on a patient so we can evaluate serial changes is incredibly useful. Previously it was an arduous and time-consuming process to retrieve the old studies from archival servers. With HeartLab, each and every old study is only a single click away and side-by-side comparison is very quick and intuitive.

How has HeartLab changed the day-to-day workflow?

Dr Currie: I personally review about 30 studies a day, and HeartLab has brought so much efficiency and speed to my workflow. The images download and play instantly and I can scroll rapidly through playing clips, and can access them from any connected device. My productivity has never been better!

The real-time display — in high resolution — and instant load and play, are at the heart of the value proposition in my opinion. When I’m presenting in multi-disciplinary meetings, I can manipulate the studies at the correct speed which is another big advantage.

And it’s a comprehensive, elegant solution from a PACS perspective.

What has the support experience been like?

Dr Currie: The team is very agile and super responsive to our requests and very open to feedback. They are great to work with and they are continuing to enhance the platform.

Would CVS recommend HeartLab?

Dr Currie: Absolutely. HeartLab is an incredibly solid product from the point of view of display and measurement. The ability to customize reporting templates is also very useful. The fact I’m no longer tied to one location to view studies and create reports, and I can recall images in real-time and easily share them with my colleagues, has changed my life for the better.