Agfa HealthCare has announced that its Agfa PACS User Group is implementing significant improvements through a new meeting format, the creation of focus groups, increased communications and several other changes.

"It became clear to us last year that APUG members wish to have a greater voice in influencing the future direction of IMPAX solutions. That certainly makes a lot of sense because technological improvements and open communication between Agfa HealthCare and IMPAX customers were the reasons APUG was created in the first place," said Bob Craske, Senior Marketing Manager, Agfa HealthCare. "APUG is such a useful tool for users that one of our goals is to make it a virtual year-round activity, instead of just a group that meets twice annually."

Among the changes announced are a new joint leadership structure that will include a radiologist and a PACS administrator; focus groups that will discuss, among other topics, workflow in a teaching environment, system administration needs, and user experiences; and a revised meeting agenda that will include live product Q&A sessions and open forums with Agfa HealthCare senior management.
Additional goals include providing greater educational opportunities for members, gaining insight to competitive systems, fully utilizing global engineering and marketing resources, and significantly increasing communication between Agfa HealthCare and IMPAX users through such methods as the Internet, newsletters and Web events.

"This is an exciting time for APUG," Craske said. "The response to what we had already shared with members prior to SCAR has been very positive, and we are certain that this year of significant change in APUG will result in even more confidence in our PACS technology and marketing, and that, in turn, will enable our customers to meet the healthcare challenges of today and tomorrow."

More Industry Headlines