4th Advent: 40.000,00 € for medicine
Our work is closely linked to medicine. We are committed to advancing processes in the healthcare sector and always develop our software solutions with a view to the requirements needed here. Therefore, we also know what this industry moves and achieves on a daily basis. To pay special tribute to this, we are opening an Advent door for the medical sector. A total of € 40,000.00 will go to Ulm University Hospital, which does great work for the region and beyond.
Of this donation, € 20,000.00 will go to the Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicinewhich provides the youngest patients in our region with comprehensive and high-quality care, including in specialized areas, . In order to achieve the best possible results in treatment, the latest diagnostic and therapeutic concepts are always applied. To this end, the more than 400 employees work around the clock.
But the topic of research is also of enormous importance in understanding the mechanisms of diseases and further improving their treatment. We are therefore pleased that our donation will benefit the leukemia and tumor research groups. Here, among other things, approaches are being sought to overcome therapy resistance in leukemias, neuroblastomas and brain tumors. The research results obtained so far have already contributed to the development of new drugs in cancer therapy and are being incorporated into an international study group on the treatment of childhood leukemia. We are pleased to be able to make a small contribution with our donation to the Children's Hospital's so important research in the fight against cancer. The medical director of the Children's Hospital, Prof. Dr. med. Klaus-Michael Debatin, the head of the leukemia research group, apl. Prof. Dr. med. Lüder H. Meyer, and the two doctoral students Amina Hadzalic and Hannah Strobel were present at the symbolic check presentation.
A further € 20,000.00 will go to the KlinikSchulVerein Ulm e.V. of the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy. The clinic does valuable work to understand, educate and treat children and adolescents with mental illnesses and their families in the best possible way. Since the pandemic began, however, clinical care has faced particular challenges. Not least because children and adolescents with mental illness and their families have been most burdened by lockdowns and school closures.
Children of school age who are in long-term inpatient or day-care treatment at the Ulm University Hospital usually attend the Hans Lebrecht School. The Hans Lebrecht School ensures that the young patients can continue to experience a normal school day despite their treatment and thus do not lose their connection to school. In 2002, the KlinikSchulVerein Ulm e.V. (Ulm Clinic School Association) was founded to support the students with learning materials as well as with basic necessities such as clothing, trips home and the like. The help provided here goes beyond compulsory care and is intended to be as uncomplicated as possible. Here, too, social inequalities have become even more apparent since the beginning of the pandemic. In a second area of activity of the association, local artists carry out art projects together with the patients, which provide the children with special experiences and many great memories. Here, too, we are convinced that we can give something back in this way. The medical director of the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Prof. Dr. med. Jörg M. Fegert, and the director of the Hans Lebrecht School, Ms. Dorothee Blaumer-Hänle, welcomed us to the rooms of the clinic school for the symbolic check presentation on Tuesday.
3rd Advent: 20.000,00 € for the environment
Sustainability, environmental and climate protection are not a private matter. As a company, we also bear responsibility and are working to advance these issues. We believe that sustainable corporate management always pays off in the end and that everyone benefits from it. With this in mind, we are opening an Advent door in our fundraising campaign for organizations that are involved in sustainability, environmental protection and nature conservation on a daily basis.
10,000.00 will go to the Ulmer Initiativkreis nachhaltige Wirtschaftsentwicklung e. V. (unw), which has set itself the task of strengthening ecological awareness in the region's business enterprises and among the population. In doing so, unw acts as an active mediator between business, science and society with the aim of working together, for each other and for a better environment. In addition to education, knowledge transfer and project management, the activities also focus on the promotion of educational measures in order to provide the knowledge for ecologically sensible actions and sustainable measures. The unw's concrete measures include the "Climate Trainees" project, which was launched in October and aims to raise awareness among young people starting their careers of the need for sustainable development and to support concrete commitment in their professional and private lives. In addition, unw organizes a variety of other projects as well as regular lectures and discussion rounds. For the symbolic handover of the check, we had the pleasure of welcoming the 2nd Chairman and Managing Director of unw, Kai Weinmüller, to our premises.
A further € 5,000.00 will go to the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz - BUND e.V. Donau-Iller Regional Association and the Ulm District Association (BUND). With the vision of a sustainable country in a sustainable and peaceful world, the BUND is committed to active environmental protection with various projects. These include, for example, the "Hermannsgarten" at Ulm's Kuhberg - a meadow orchard where old native varieties are specifically planted and cared for. Many children from Ulm visit the garden every year and, in addition to tasty apples, also gain valuable knowledge about nature. In addition, there are numerous other projects worth supporting around the topics of nature conservation and biodiversity, urban development, environmental development and more. For the symbolic check handover on Tuesday, the regional manager of BUND Jana Slave welcomed us to the Ulm office.
We also donate € 5,000.00 to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Germany Group Ulm/Neu-Ulm (NABU)which has been working for nature conservation in and around Ulm for many years. NABU's tasks include providing nesting aids for native bird species and caring for injured or orphaned found birds. In addition, tours, excursions and family afternoons are offered, which are open to all interested parties. Another, larger project is the nature reserve "Arnegger Ried" in the Blautal. The fen is a lowland moor that is home to many rare and endangered species. Part of the area is grazed by cattle in the warmer months, helping to restore the lowland moor character of the area. With this project, NABU shows that nature conservation and agriculture do not have to be opposites. At the symbolic handover of the check, a few of our employees were already allowed to take a first look at the Arnegger Ried. Also present were the volunteers of the local NABU Michael Rau, Julia Obenauer and Diana May.
All three organizations make a valuable contribution to our environment. We are convinced and grateful to make a small contribution with our donation.
2nd Advent: 20.000,00 € for education
Education is of great importance to our society. It plays a decisive role in determining life opportunities and guarantees cultural and social participation. The pandemic has shown that education is all too often not a matter of course and cannot be valued highly enough. That is why we are opening a "little door" of our Advent campaign for this so elementary area.
A donation of € 15,000.00 goes to the Education Network Ulm/Neu-Ulm. This cross-town project has set itself the task of networking schools and daycare centers with external cooperation partners. In this way, the various institutions are given the opportunity to take advantage of educational offerings in a wide range of areas - from sports and nutrition to the environment, culture and digitization.
One of the foundations for the network's work is the Ulm Education Initiative, which was launched back in 2000. A key guiding principle here is equity of opportunity, which encompasses both the promotion of children and young people, the relief of families and the integration of marginalized and at-risk groups. Mitigating the impact of pandemics has also become an important issue. One challenge in coordinating the collaborations is often the start-up funding for the individual projects. We hope that our donation will contribute to this important work, so that as many children and young people as possible in our region benefit.
The symbolic handover of the check took place in time for St. Nicholas Day on December 6 at Ulm City Hall. The head of the educational network Ulm/Neu-Ulm, Mrs. Monika Schmid, the second mayor of the city of Ulm, Mrs. Iris Mann, who is responsible for the departments of culture, education and social affairs, as well as the head of the department for education, culture, sports and social affairs of the city of Neu-Ulm, Mr. Ralph Seiffert, were present.
In addition, € 5,000.00 goes to other projects. These include the annual donations to our partner school, the Bertha-von-Suttner-Gymnasium in Pfuhl, and to the Verschwörhaus in Ulm. We also support the Erich-Kästner elementary school in Ludwigsfeld in staging a play.
1st Advent: 20.000,00 € for the region
The region of Ulm and the surrounding area is economically strong and is one of the more prosperous parts of the country. But even here there are fellow citizens who are not doing so well. Whether they are single parents or elderly people whose pensions are barely enough to live on - they are all in need, usually through no fault of their own, and are dependent on help.
Exactly these people are taken care of by the "Aktion 100.000 and Ulmer helft". For 50 years, this initiative has been known for providing uncomplicated and quick help - unbureaucratically and with a lot of commitment. The self-declared goal is to alleviate hardship in the region and to treat our fellow human beings with more respect and humanity. To this end, donations are collected and taken to exactly where the need is greatest. For example, just before Christmas, 1,500 checks are sent directly to people affected by poverty. In addition, social and charitable organizations and projects are supported to ensure their continued existence.
The 100,000 campaign is supported by income from events and donations. The latter are all the more important this winter, when events can once again not take place due to corona. We are therefore all the more pleased to support this commitment and are convinced to place our donation of € 20,000.00 in trustworthy hands so that it reaches directly where it is most urgently needed.
For the symbolic handover of the check, we were pleased to welcome the head of organization of the campaign Karl Bacherle as well as the campaign editor of the SWP Birgit Eberle in our premises.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
QuickDESIGN – für den entscheidenden ersten Eindruck
A professional and authentic external presentation is also an absolute must for medical facilities. The practice website is usually the first point of contact for new patients. An individual design ensures a high recognition value and turns your facility into an unmistakable brand.
We combine competencies in the areas of design, marketing and industry-specific know-how in the healthcare sector. So we know what is particularly important when it comes to designing your external communication. Together we develop a corporate design that suits you and stands out from the competition. When creating your web presence, we pay attention to every detail - from user-friendly usability and appropriate content to search engine optimization and regular maintenance of your website. In addition, we provide communication tools that leave an impression and, if desired, we also take care of the printing. We are also happy to take care of the professional photo shoot of your facility to put it in the right light.
To round off our service portfolio, we also advise you on the subject of practice start-ups and digitization. Through the Bucher Group network, we have extensive expertise in this area.
You want to learn more? You can find more information here. Or simply contact us and let us advise you. We look forward to hearing from you!
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Training days above the roofs of Ulm
Our second training days under pandemic conditions and more participants than ever before - no problem at all with a little organizational skill and compliance with hygiene requirements. Quite the contrary. We are pleased about the great interest in our products and innovations and attach great importance to the intensive exchange with our customers. That's why our annual training days are among our most important events, and we wouldn't want to miss them under any circumstances.
Once again, the two days were filled with a wealth of information about our latest developments and enhancements. For example, our Order Entry was presented to the participants in an intensive hands-on training. In addition, the focus was on the innovations around the LabMessenger. Furthermore, our new statistics module was presented with the help of clear examples, before a small foretaste of our future development projects was given at the end. In between we could let our eyes wander over the roofs of Ulm and enjoy the view of the Ulm Cathedral.
After this intensive workshop, of course, a little diversion was not to be missed and what could be better than a short ride? The historic streetcar took all participants on a tour of discovery through the beautiful city of Ulm, and then the evening was brought to a rounded conclusion with good food and pleasant conversation.
We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all participants for their trust and their contribution to two successful training days. It was nice that you were with us. We are already looking forward to next year.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Einstein Marathon 2021 - We were there!
The first weekend in October started in the same way and continued in an extremely sporty manner.
With the Ulm Einstein Marathon, a small but fine running team from the Bucher Group took on the next challenge. Despite tired legs from the Allgäu Team Challenge the day before, our sporty colleagues gave their all and put in a brilliant performance at the Liqui Moly City Run over a distance of 10 km along the Danube. All members successfully crossed the finish line and could rightly be very proud of themselves. We certainly are.
Great performance, you jocks!
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Allgäu Team Challenge 2021
It's no secret that we in the Bucher Group have a certain soft spot for the mountains. So there couldn't have been a better setting than the Allgäu for our teambuilding this year. Early in the morning, we took the coach to Oberstaufen, where we were greeted by bright sunshine and late summer temperatures, as well as the team from the Jürgen Koch Activity Center.
We started with a hearty snack to fortify ourselves for the team challenge that followed. And that was quite a challenge : divided into groups, we had to master various tasks and stations together, which challenged our team spirit and sportsmanship in equal measure. Everyone got their money's worth - whether it was a daredevil quad course, stick shooting or tree trunk sawing. The whole thing was rounded off by a GPS-guided hike through the picturesque area around Oberstaufen, where all teams made it back to the finish line in the end - albeit sometimes via detours. Afterwards, it was time to gather strength and give everything at the human kicker tournament, which was mostly fair and impressively showed that our team also has some real soccer talents. Finally, we were able to refuel our reserves at a brilliant Allgäu BBQ before we started our journey home to Ulm.
A big thank you goes out to the team of the Aktivzentrum Jürgen Koch and especially to our colleague Corinna, who organized the wonderful day for us and thought of everything. We are already looking forward to the next Challenge.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Patient communication - providing findings online
Waiting for a laboratory result can sometimes be nerve-wracking for patients. It is often necessary to call the practice to find out the test results. If the telephone lines in the practice are also permanently busy, a lot of patience is required.
With the QuickPAT document portal, you can offer your patients the option of conveniently retrieving findings online. Any other type of document can also be provided digitally, such as medication plans or special certificates. The corresponding document can be viewed, downloaded or printed directly - without having to come to the practice. All that is required is the date of birth and the personal identification number, which is generated by the respective laboratory. The online portal gives the patient access to his or her documents at any time and from anywhere - whether via PC or smartphone.
If you want to learn more, just contact us and we will show you how you can offer your patients an attractive added value.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Corona Pool Tests for Schools
Since the end of the summer vacations, several German states have switched to corona pool testing at daycare centers and schools, in which all children in a group or class are tested together with just one PCR test. We support laboratories in implementing these group tests safely and quickly.
As a rule, the pool tests run as follows: Schools are provided with barcode and QR code label sheets and the test material by the laboratory. After sampling in the respective group or class, all swabs are collected in a pool tube. This is provided with a barcode so that a clear allocation is ensured. The responsible teacher or educator scans the corresponding QR code with his or her cell phone and is automatically redirected to a web form. This form is already filled out and only needs to be completed with the name of the school and the respective class. In this way, the lab order is activated.
After evaluation of the test pools in the laboratory, the results will be reported to the:school's Corona Officer. If the test results are negative, no further action is required. In the case of a positive pool test, retesting of the children from this group is arranged - but this is done individually and in the child's home environment. For this purpose, parents receive labels with a barcode and a QR code in addition to the swab material. After the test has been performed, this code is stuck onto the test tube and scanned in order to be automatically forwarded to the website for data entry. Here, the child's data as well as an email address and, if applicable, a cell phone number are entered to activate the lab order. Once the test result is available, parents and teachers are conveniently informed by e-mail or, if desired, by text message.
Pool tests are a good method for reliably and cost-effectively detecting corona infections. In addition, they are usually well accepted by children, as the tests are usually performed as so-called lollipop tests. With our solution, such pool tests can be implemented easily and safely, even on a large scale. If you are interested in our software solution, please contact us.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Käpsele 2021
Being called a "Käpsele" is probably one of the nicest compliments you can get in Swabian. In Swabia, being a Käpsele means having a lot on your mind. Reason enough, therefore, to reward special achievements with a prize bearing precisely this name.
At Bertha-von-Suttner-Gymnasium, with which we have been partners for many years, there are many bright minds. Some of them were able to complete their school careers last week and receive their school-leaving certificates. The best among them received special awards for their achievements.
The donors of these awards include private individuals as well as companies from the region. Since mathematics plays a major role in a software company like ours, it was clear to us that we would take on the award for the best exam results in this subject. And since we also have a great soft spot for Swabian, the name of the prize was almost obvious.
The Käpsele Prize for the best high school graduates in mathematics went to Juri Langer and Jonas Herrmann. This was the first time that two winners were honored with this prize for their outstanding achievements. We are happy about so much brains and wish the graduates all the best for the future.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
QuickPAT - Patient communication made easy
The pandemic has shown how important digital communication solutions are for patients. Optimal communication creates satisfaction, saves time, and is thus an important building block for everyday medical work. With QuickPAT, we have now developed a tool for your patient communication. It consists of two modules: Via the appointment booking, patients can make their appointments online and via the document portal they can retrieve documents digitally.
You can use the appointment booking module for any type of appointment and configure it according to your own wishes - whether it is a regular consultation appointment, Covid test or vaccination appointment. Online appointment booking saves a lot of time and ensures trouble-free practice processes - this is particularly important in the current situation, where Corona vaccinations are increasingly being made the responsibility of GPs*. But the module can also be optimally used for other scenarios.
The administration of the module is very simple. You can configure the appointment booking form individually and define which appointments and times should be available for selection, add exceptions or adapt the design to your corporate design. You can also define which fields are mandatory and be flexible in the selection of bookable times. Thus, it is possible to store special and blocked times as well as to assign time slots more than once. Different appointment types can also be defined and the duration required for each can be specified. The duration of the bookable time slot is displayed to the patient in the booking screen. If there are multiple locations, such as MVZs or practice branches, this can also be taken into account when booking appointments and set accordingly.
In addition to booking appointments, QuickPAT offers the possibility via the document portal, to make all types of documents available online. Whether findings, medication plans or special certificates - offer your patients the convenient option of simply viewing, downloading and printing personal documents in digital form without having to visit the practice. This saves time and money and offers your patients attractive added value.
By the way: Both functions are available to your patients web-based, so they can access them at any time - whether via PC or smartphone.
If you'd like to learn more, just contact us and we'll show you how to optimize your patient communications with QuickPAT.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Autumn cleaning
Let's clean! Under this motto, the waste disposal company of the city of Ulm (EBU) had called for a big autumn clean-up*.
As environmental protection is an important topic here, some of our hard-working employees took part in the trash collection campaign. And unfortunately, there was more than enough to do...
Thank you to all participants for your great commitment!
*Putzete, the noun, feminine
Southern German for housecleaning, major cleaning
BS Customer Days 2022
There are few events we look forward to as much as this one. So last week it was finally time again for our BS Customer Days: Two days filled with valuable insights, practical tips and tricks around our software solution QuickCON and in between a lot of time for interesting conversations and valuable exchange. All this was only topped by record-breaking numbers of participants, which we were very pleased about. So it was more than worth the wait.
This year, our event was divided into different blocks. We had asked our customers in advance for their wishes in order to be able to present and convey all contents as customer-oriented as possible. At the end of the first training day, a joint dinner followed by a social get-together provided a pleasant diversion before the second day continued with a joint brainstorming session. Last but not least, a short outlook on future projects and plans was not to be missed. And so two intensive customer days flew by again and actually ended much too quickly, so that we are already looking forward to next year.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants for the confidence they have placed in us. It was nice that you were with us. We hope to welcome you again next year and if you already have ideas and wishes for the BS Customer Days 2023, please let us know.
Our vision
Every person has something that motivates and drives him or her. The same is true for companies - or at least it should be, in our opinion. A good basis for this is a mission statement: a description for the company's self-image, basic principles and goals. A kind of compass for the future that provides answers to the questions of what we stand for, what we want to achieve, and how.
We have been living a common spirit as a team for a long time, even without ever having agreed on it verbally. But a mission statement goes even further: it provides employees with a framework and orientation for their work and shows customers and partners the values and demands of our company - in short, what makes us tick. We have grown and developed rapidly in recent years, so it was time to put our principles and values in writing. However, the development of a mission statement is not done on the drawing board by a single person - it is teamwork.
So last year, in a cross-departmental team of eight employees, we set out to formulate our corporate mission statement. After an initial meeting, we retreated for two intensive days to the beautiful Allgäu region of Germany, where, far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we found the creativity and inspiration we needed to achieve the first major milestone: the development of a clearly formulated corporate vision. A vision as a picture of the future and a set of goals should motivate and inspire one's own employees and in this way can strongly influence the success of the company. In the process, we worked our way from the individual ideas of each team member to a shared vision. An exciting process in which we were once again confirmed how much we all pull together to achieve a goal.
Our vision
We are a Swabian, internationally operating software company with the goal of optimizing processes in the healthcare sector in order to preserve and improve one of the most precious goods of mankind - health. In doing so, we remain authentic and make our decisions believing in ourselves and based on our ideals and values.
While this blog is going online, our team is already busy taking the next step. However, more will not be revealed at this point...
Guad gloffa
On Sunday, the whole of Ulm was once again under the sign of the annual Einstein Marathon. The Bucher Group was also represented by a team of 17 highly motivated runners. They started in different distances. The 5 and 10 km distances and in one case the half marathon had to be mastered. Loud support was given by the colleagues at the side of the course, our developer Lukas was even represented with his brass band. So it's no wonder that our runners put in a lot of effort and mastered their courses with flying colors.
We are definitely super proud of you guys!
Bread, games and a murder
It should be no secret by now that we are a pretty playful bunch. So it's only logical that this year's teambuilding would hold one or two challenges in store for us. And this time we didn't even have to travel far.
But from the beginning: It all started very comfortably with an opulent brunch in our cafeteria, where there was such a large selection of delicacies that sporting activities were initially pushed far into the background. But only for the time being, because around noon we went well fortified to the other side of the Danube. At the Face-off in Neu-Ulm, a parkour of 13 games awaited us, in which we had to compete against each other in different teams. There was something for everyone in the different disciplines, so depending on the task, skill, strength or knowledge were required. Whether bullriding, knowledge games or reaction wall - everyone got the opportunity to play to their own strengths and thus fully contribute to the team. And even from the scavenger pit everyone came out sooner or later, but that's another story...
After we had mastered all the stations with flying colors, we had well deserved a reward. We went back to Ulm to the traditional Krone restaurant. Because - surprise - as we all know, eating is also one of our favorite pastimes. In the rustic cellar vault there was another highlight for us: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson took us on a murder hunt in the finest Swabian dialect, which kept us in suspense from the appetizer to the last nightcap. The culprit (no, it was not the gardener) was unmasked at the end with our help.
And so this year's teambuilding event not only provided us with a wonderful and exciting Saturday, but we have also learned something new since then. Or let's say, we are at least pretty sure that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle must have been secretly Swabian. As is well known, only clever minds come from Swabia...
A big thank you to all involved, especially to the organization team and the management. You have once again provided for numerous beautiful memories!
Reliable transmission of findings in cytology
The digital transmission of findings often does not yet run smoothly in cytology; the reason for this is often an unreliable EDI system. The laboratories then lose a lot of time resending lost findings to their sending practices. In addition, many software systems only work on Windows PCs and not on macOS.
QuickLIS solves these problems and transfers cytology findings in real time as encrypted LDT files from the laboratory system to the doctors' offices. The practice staff can then manage the findings clearly and download them again if necessary. All files are stored on the server in the laboratory and can no longer be lost! Through the connection to the physician information system of the sender, the findings data are also stored directly here. If questions arise, they can be quickly clarified via chat - saving a lot of time. QuickLIS report transmission can be easily connected to the existing laboratory system without having to completely change your software environment.
With QuickLIS, security comes first: encrypted LDT files meet the highest security standards - comparable to a letter with a seal and certificate. This is far more than an encrypted e-mail or even an FTP client, which in this metaphor would be comparable to a postcard.
Are you interested in a reliable solution for the transmission of your findings? Then try out QuickLIS digital report transmission easily and without obligation! During a trial period of 6 months, you can test our solution with up to ten of your sending practices free of charge and without obligation. There are no costs for you during this time - even if you decide against our solution afterwards. If you are convinced by QuickLIS, you will only pay after the trial period.
You want details? You can find more information on QuickLIS report transmission here. We would also be happy to present our solution to you in a personal meeting. Just contact us. We are looking forward to meeting you.
Done!
One office management assistant, two application developers, three system integrators and two university graduates - this year's graduating class brought us no less than eight freshly graduated specialists, and we wouldn't want to give any of them up again.
Our trainees Esra, Philipp H., Simon, Philipp S., Jan and Ronald have been enriching our team since 2019 and 2020. All trainees have been right in the thick of things right from the start, so they were able to take on responsibility early on and put their knowledge to the test in their first projects of their own. The same applies to Florian and Johannes, who successfully completed their studies in computer science and data science in medicine this year. Both came to us as internship students and wrote their bachelor theses here.
With their concentrated expertise, the now fully trained employees enrich our team. In addition, they are, above all, valuable colleagues whom we would not want to miss in our team. We are all the more pleased that each and every one of them will stay with us to continue actively shaping the future of our company.
At this point, congratulations to all graduates. After the long time of preparation, cramming and writing, you can be justifiably proud of yourselves. We certainly are.
We are also keeping our fingers crossed for our two dual students Kai and Caspar, who are currently in the final stages of their bachelor thesis.
By the way: We are looking for new talent again. So if you are interested in IT in the medical industry and one or the other adventure with our team: there are still training positions available for this year.
Programming blind? We see no problem there
At first glance, Martin's workplace doesn't look very different from those of other colleagues. A desk, an office chair, a laptop - that's about it. But a closer look reveals that there are no additional screens or a mouse. And if you watch Martin at work for a while, it quickly becomes clear that he works differently than the other colleagues. Because Martin is blind.
When the sighted colleagues program applications, they use an integrated development environment. They constantly switch back and forth between several open windows on their screens, compare or click buttons to compile. For Martin, this very visual way of working doesn't work. His headphones are his screen. For this, he uses so-called screen reader programs that recognize text within images and read the information to him. "Basically, my first programming skills were based on rewriting screen reader programs for my purposes. I was forced to customize them to my needs, so that they read aloud only what was interesting to me, for example." Martin, on the other hand, does not usually use a Braille display, an output device that translates digitized text into Braille and functions like a tactile keyboard. This is partly because he was not born blind and only had to painstakingly learn Braille as an adult. When Martin develops, he moves around on the command line and writes scripts that are composed of individual command line commands. But this requires a certain mental model, because he simply has to know certain contexts. Thus it needs at the beginning possibly somewhat longer, in order to learn the code. Once the code is internalized, however, he is often even faster with commands than his sighted colleagues.
Martin has been with us for over two years now as an application developer. He works in the web area and takes care of deployment or automation processes and the containerization of applications, among other things. At that time, the contact was established through a personnel consulting firm specializing in IT professionals. Because of his disability, the job search initially proved to be not so easy for the trained developer. And this despite the fact that he had been programming himself since 1997 and could look back on many years of professional experience even before his training. Even for managing director Jürgen Bucher, the agency's request came as a surprise at first: "A code can consist of complex structures and many programs are graphically structured. Martin, on the other hand, has to have it all read out to him and keep it in his memory. At first, I actually had a hard time imagining that. But we just tried it out!" With success, because Martin has long since joined the team and performs his tasks just like any other developer, but in a different way.
Martin sees himself as a mediator between the worlds and hopes that more companies will dare to employ employees with disabilities: "Often, the hurdles are not as high as many fear. My screen readers, for example, are all open source programs; I don't need any other aids." At many companies, however, he says, internal policies are so strict that often only certain programs may be used and no exceptions are granted. For Martin, it is therefore important to talk much more about accessibility, rather than participation. Companies should ask themselves the question, "How do I make it possible for someone to use their skills?" Martin is a trained professional with the same skills as a sighted application developer, but he is blind.
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
AZÄD Annual Conference - Save the Date
Nothing planned for September? Why not visit us at the 12th AZÄD Annual Conference in Cologne.
From September 22-24, 2022, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft zytologisch tätiger Ärzte in Deutschland e.V. invites you to the Rhineland trade fair city and we will be there as exhibitors. During the three-day event, we will present QuickLIS, our laboratory information system for cytology, and show you how you can use it to fully digitalize the workflows for both your laboratory and your senders.
QuickLIS can be used both as a comprehensive laboratory information system and as an extension of your existing LIS. Depending on your needs, you can benefit from the flexible modules such as digital order entry via Order Entry, digital findings transmission with graphical findings view or automated pre-filling of the oKFE documentation sheets. Further functionalities can also be easily adapted to your needs.
Have you become curious? Then take the opportunity and come by. Cologne is definitely always worth a visit.
Where?
KOMED
Im Mediapark 7, 50670 Cologne, Germany
When?
Thursday to Saturday
September 22-24, 2022
...And if you can not be on site, please feel free to make an appointment with us by phone. We look forward to seeing you!
Picture credits: © Bucher Group
Documentation obligation made easy
Cytology laboratories and gynecology practices are required to document cancer screening examinations as part of the oKFE guideline. For this purpose, the forms specified by IQTIG must be completed electronically and submitted to the responsible KV on a quarterly basis. This requires a great deal of effort on the part of the employees, as the individual forms usually have to be filled out by hand or extensively completed.
With QuickLIS, the documentation obligation is now child's play. With the new KV documentation module in combination with our Order Entry, the oKFE documentation forms can be almost completely pre-filled in the sending practice. The corresponding patient data as well as findings and any previous findings are transferred from the system. If necessary, the forms can be supplemented. After checking the documentation sheets, an export file is created, which is transmitted to the KV by the laboratory or the gynecological practice.
For all users, this approach saves an enormous amount of time - valuable time that is freed up for other things.
As a laboratory, you can offer your senders added value by giving them valuable time and making their daily work a little easier. Would you like to learn more about the latest QuickLIS module? Then simply contact us.