Digital patient file: Specialist clinic modernizes in-house scanning station with two InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1
The St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst close to the university city of Münster is a traditional and award-winning specialist clinic for orthopaedics, rheumatology and spinal diseases. In addition to eight specialist departments, the hospital, which was founded in 1889, also includes a pain clinic for joint and back problems and an affiliated rehabilitation center. When the Stift wanted to modernize its in-house digitization and scanning center as part of its expansion in 2024, the search for a document scanner initially proved difficult: neither the document scanners nor the service provided by the current manufacturers met the requirements of the project managers. But then their DMS solution provider drew their attention to the InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1.
The project at a glance
Customer: St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst (Website)
Project: Modernization of the in-house scanning center for digitizing patient files / relocation of the scanning center
Scope: Two InoTec SCAMAX® 311cd (with 36 months service package)
Challenges: Integration into existing IT ecosystem and established processes; compatibility with scan client d.capture from d.velop; Relocation of the scanning center
Project period: Initial contact until test installation: January to March 2024, relocation: August 2024
The initial situation:
Using conventional scanners for fever curves and X-ray images
In 2004, St. Josef-Stift began digitizing its patient files. Then as now, the files to be digitized consist of a daily stream of new or incoming files and a gigantic old archive dating back to 1985, which is to be digitally archived from 1989. The “Document Management” department set up for this purpose comprises two employees who scan the new and old files with two document scanners. The material to be scanned is typical for a clinic: extremely heterogeneous, sometimes heavily used, and peppered with highly demanding documents such as overlong fever curves or semi-transparent X-ray images. Over the next two decades, the department worked with the same staff and optimized its scanning and digitization processes. However, the technology became increasingly outdated.
The problem:
Completely black scans and unavailable service
In 2024, the St. Josef-Stift finally judges its scanning systems to be outdated: the scanners frequently break down and the scan quality no longer fulfills expectations – many of the scans are poor or barely recognizable. Support for the document scanners has long since been discontinued and even fee-based service technicians are hard to get hold of. In addition, the scanners are not compatible with the current operating systems and DMS, leading to complex workarounds. This is also reflected in the throughput of recent years, which has fallen short of expectations – despite experienced scan operators and efficient processes.
“Some scans were completely black. X-ray images in particular were literally unrecognizable on the scans. Even rescans didn’t help, the scanners were simply no longer able to cope with the document material. In order to achieve our qualitative and quantitative scanning goals, we urgently needed new document scanners that could reliably and quickly produce first-class images and integrate seamlessly and easily into our modern IT ecosystem.”
(Eva-Carina Gerling, Head of IT, St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst)
The scanner requirements profile:
Easy-to-use and robust scanners in desktop format
Together with the employees from the document management department, the project team draws up a requirements profile for the document scanners needed. One particular aspect here is that the new scanners should be flexible and individually adaptable to the scanning processes of the two scan operators, which have evolved over decades. The project team defines a total of eight key selection criteria:
- Maximum user-friendliness – for simple, intuitive operation and flexible integration into existing workflows and processes
- Absolute reliability – for trouble-free processing of heterogeneous and difficult document types
- Longevity and robustness – for continuous use over years and decades and a correspondingly economical TCO
- Best image quality – even when scanning particularly dark documents
- Possibility to replace wearing parts independently
- Excellent Support und high availability of spare parts – for minimal downtime
- Desk-compatible device dimensions – for use on standard office desks
- Compatibility with d.capture from d.velop
The scanner search:
Popular scanner manufacturers fail the test
The St. Josef-Stift initially takes the most obvious route and examines the successor models to its previous scanners. However, these were not convincing in the test. The models from two other manufacturers also fail to meet the requirements. After several fruitless weeks of searching for scanners, the IT department of St. Josef Stift Sendenhorst finally turns to its DMS solution provider d.velop.
“The test set-ups had not been very satisfying to date – not only because they all lacked support from the manufacturer: we did not find any of the scanners tested to be user-friendly. None met our requirements for individual customizability. And in view of their design and product quality, we did not trust any of them to withstand continuous use in the long term. However, we didn’t want to repeat the purchase and conversion process in just a few years. So I asked d.velop which scanner could meet our requirements. The answer: an InoTec SCAMAX®.”
(Eva-Carina Gerling, Head of IT, St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst)
The scanner recommendation:
Convincing expert advice and user reports
Eva-Carina Gerling researches the recommended InoTec SCAMAX® scanners online and is quickly convinced that she has found the right scanners: The clear product range, the clear product philosophy and the clearly described features convince her – as do the authentic user reports from enthusiastic InoTec SCAMAX® users. She picks up the phone and arranges a trial of the InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1.
“With InoTec SCAMAX® I immediately had the feeling that I was not just one of many, but a valued partner for whom the optimum solution had to be found. A customer in the best sense of the word. After our recent test installation odyssey, that was very relieving.”
(Eva-Carina Gerling, Head of IT, St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst)
Testing, training and commissioning:
InoTec SCAMAX® scanners and service convince from the very first moment
Just seven days after the first telephone call and consultation, the supervised test installation of the InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1 begins. The document scanner is delivered to Sendenhorst, installed and configured to customer specifications. After a short briefing for the scan operators, the first two-week test phase can begin. During the test phase, the project team is in close contact with its InoTec contact person, who uses the feedback from live operation to develop further optimizations and implements them at the end of the first test phase. At this point, the decision in favor of the InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1 has long since been made.
“We were really impressed: by the service before, during and after the test installation; by the commitment of the InoTec staff; but above all by the scanners. I have never seen such high-quality and well-designed document scanners. No other manufacturer comes close. It quickly became clear to us: these scanners may have a high purchase price, but they are worth every penny – especially with a view to the coming years and decades.”
(Eva-Carina Gerling, Head of IT, St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst)
The hardware solution:
The middleweight champion among document scanners
The St. Josef-Stift opts for the most compact model from the InoTec SCAMAX® family: the InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1. This award-winning and TR-RESISCAN-compatible desktop scanner is the leader in its device class and optimized for a daily throughput up to the five-digit range. As the little brother of the throughput sensation SCAMAX® 6×1, it combines the 24/7 DNA and numerous premium functionalities of the world’s leading desktop scanner with even more compact device dimensions and even more favorable conditions.
The SCAMAX® 3×1 scans in color and best image quality (according to ISO 19264-1 Level B and FADGI 3-Star). Its paper-friendly belt transport guides even difficult documents safely through the scanner, while the NoSCRATCH glass guides prevent device failures due to scratched rails. It is operated via an 18 cm color touch display with an intuitive user interface and clear full-text messages. This makes the InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1 the most qualitative and cost-efficient choice whenever excellent results, intuitive operation and a long product service life are the key selection criteria.
The software solution:
d.capture batch from d.velop
The St. Josef-Stift has been working successfully with the d.capture batch scanning software from d.velop for several years. As it would like to maintain the associated and well-established processes, the Stift has decided not to use the InoTec premium scanning software SCAMAXscan+ but to operate the new scanners with the tried and tested software – which is possible without any problems thanks to the integrated TWAIN and ISIS drivers.
The customer summary:
Excellent document scanners, excellent service
“With the two InoTec SCAMAX® 3×1, we have found the perfect document scanners to digitize our patient files qualitatively and efficiently. The scanners are extremely robust and have already withstood a relocation with a lot of moving back and forth without any problems. I am certain that we will have fun with these devices for at least the next 15 years. This not only puts the purchase price into perspective, but also makes the scanners particularly cost-efficient in the long term.
Our scan operators are delighted with the handling of the scanners. The image quality of the scans is impressive and our throughput is now much higher. We can now easily replace wearing parts ourselves. And what impresses me in particular is that the support and service provided by InoTec after the purchase is still obliging in the truest sense of the word. Alongside the incredibly good scanners, this is the second big argument for me in favor of InoTec SCAMAX®.”
(Eva-Carina Gerling, Head of IT, St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst)
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