With an 80-year history, Onkologikoa-Oncology Institute Gipuzkoa in San Sebastian (Basque Country, Spain) is a reference point in the fight against cancer. This centre is devoted entirely to the prevention, diagnosis, research and treatment of cancer.
The only centre devoted exclusively to cancer treatment in the Basque Country, it came into being via a social initiative that was set in motion by professionals from the world of medicine and citizens, with institutional backing. Its history at the service of society is that of both a professional and human trajectory of men and women who have provided the best of their medical, welfare and scientific knowledge – and also of the thousands of patients who have placed their trust in them.
The complexity of cancer as a disease makes it necessary for different specialists to take part in the study, diagnosis and treatment of each case. Multidisciplinary teamwork has been one of the key features of Onkologikoa throughout its history. At Onkologikoa there are the following units: Digestive, Gynaecology, Breast, Skin and Melanoma, Lung, Lymphoma and Sarcoma, ENT, Thyroid, Urology, Radiosurgery, and also a Cancer Pain Unit, and another unit providing support to patients and their family members.
Since it was first opened as a modern hospital equipped with state-of-the-art technology in 2009, Onkologikoa is now trying to make advances in biomedical cancer research, in applying new forms of therapy and in progress made in personalised medicine. It thus fulfils what is one of its raison d’êtres – to provide patients with the most recent advances in diagnosis and cancer treatment.
From the Onkologikoa standpoint, research is the best guarantee that a patient can be offered to ensure that they feel they are receiving the excellent treatment they demand. Research has been focused on two main pillars: scientific research based on clinical trials and advanced therapies and the integration of the newest technological advances in ICT in the daily routine of the clinicians, creating a new hospital model based on continuous learning through experience.
Onkologikoa is a member of various medical and research associations and maintains numerous collaborative agreements with research centres and corporate as well as teaching and hospital establishments and patients’ associations. Strengthening these collaborations and widening the scope to other sectors such as ICT or nanotechnologies are the main objective to create an international network to provide better health care to cancer patients.
Onkologikoa, as clinical partner, will mainly contribute to DESIREE with their experience in patient care. The different profiles involved in the assistance of the patient participates in the Breast Unit (oncologists, surgeons, radiotherapists etc.) and will contribute defining the overall requirements to improve the decision-making process of a Breast Unit and will evaluate the different parts and also the final solution.
During the project, it will be of relevant importance the quality of the clinical data. Onkologikoa obtained HIMSS Level 6 in quality of Electronic Health Record in October 2011. This is the second highest level for EHR and it was the eighth European hospital achieving this level.
Onkologikoa Foundation is a “paperless” hospital since 2007. Clinical information data is managed through an Electronic History Record programme called Hygheos. This includes HIS (History Information System), diaries management, requests management, anamnesis, evolution, surgical procedure management, clinical records, nursing service care and rest of common documentation of a clinical history.
Medication process is supported by an in-house developed application integrated with Hygheos. There is an existing circuit of high risk drugs (chemotherapy, epidural medication, Patient Controlled Analgesia, parenteral nutrition) in which different features are incorporated, such as automatic calculation systems, clinical decision support, medication and patient identification with bar-code technology and alert management system and other security measures to ensure the prevention of errors that can affect to patients. The system covers complete traceability during all process phases and includes effectiveness and toxicity registrations. It also includes in real-time bi-directional Wi-Fi connectivity with chemotherapy pumps.
Medication prescription and administration process has also traceability and security high technological level. Medication dispenser is also connected to the main system.
There are some other tools that have been developed for specific oncological environment. It is worth noting the tumour register and the application for Oncology Units management, that guides diagnostic and treatment process of the disease and can show different quality indicators.
All the images are managed by GE RIS-PACS system. The images can be also visualised through Hygheos. There are multiple commercial software products that supports specific services (laboratory, anatomical pathology, radiotherapy accelerators, and chemotherapy administration) that are integrated with the main system.
