Success Story SPO Patientenorganisation

In this success story, you will learn how the SPO Patientenorganisation rebuilt its IT infrastructure by working with Open Circle, thereby significantly increasing flexibility and security. Thanks to the efficient partnership with Open Circle, a previously analog and fragmented IT landscape was transformed into a modern and robust infrastructure. This was particularly important for the security of sensitive patient data and the improvement of operational efficiency.

The Swiss Foundation SPO Patientenorganisation is the largest patient advocacy organization in Switzerland and has been providing comprehensive support for all patients in the country for 42 years. Its services are aimed at private individuals and cover a wide range of medical and legal needs. The core tasks of the SPO include

• Medical advice: the SPO offers sound advice on treatment errors, diagnoses, second opinions, dental issues and living wills. Private individuals can turn to the SPO for clarity and support in the event of any uncertainties regarding their treatment.
• Legal support: In cases of suspected malpractice, the SPO works closely with patient lawyers to investigate potential claims and take legal action. Although consultations are free of charge, fees are charged for special legal protection mandates, but these correspond to low rates.
• Education and mediation: The SPO acts as a mediator and de-escalation point between patients and healthcare professionals. It helps to clear up misunderstandings and explains which errors are legally relevant. It often works in a de-escalating manner to calm the situation and find constructive solutions.
• Raising awareness and education: Through information campaigns and further training, the SPO promotes awareness of medical processes and patients’ rights, as well as living wills. It works with a network of specialists from all medical fields, including dentistry, to provide up-to-date and reliable information at all times.

The SPO employs around 20 permanent part-time staff. It also works with a network of around 200 specialists from the medical and dental fields. These experts have committed themselves to independence and neutrality. To ensure this, they work anonymously for the SPO. The organization has its headquarters in Zurich and additional locations in Bellinzona and Lausanne to cover the German-, Italian- and French-speaking regions of Switzerland.

Two thirds of the SPO’s annual turnover of around one and a half million CHF is financed by public funds and donations, while one third comes from fee-based legal protection mandates. Thanks to this comprehensive structure, the SPO can offer a high quality of service and ensure that patients in Switzerland receive the best possible support.

Company: SPO Patientenorganisation
Website: spo.ch
Short description: Grösste Patientenorganisation der Schweiz
Industry: Healthcare, NGO
Locations: Head office in Zurich, additional locations in Bellinzona and Lausanne in Switzerland
Target group: Private individuals with questions about their medical treatment, suspected medical errors, need for second opinions and legal support

Open Circle products in use:

• Managed Workplace
• Nextcloud
• Firewall & Network

Before the SPO Patientenorganisation started working with Open Circle, its IT infrastructure was in a very outdated state. Many processes were completely analog, which significantly reduced efficiency and jeopardized the security of sensitive patient data. The main problems were:

• Paper-based billing and documentation: important documents and billing were processed manually on paper. This not only led to high workloads and long processing times, but also to an increased risk of errors and data loss.
• Lack of digital infrastructure: Until a few years ago, there was no digital infrastructure that met the modern requirements of a patient organization. Excel spreadsheets were used for simple evaluations and there was no central database or cloud solution to manage their data securely and efficiently.
• Lack of data security: The sensitive data was insufficiently protected as it was stored on private devices and in unsecured systems. This posed a major data protection risk, especially given the strict data protection regulations in the healthcare sector.
• Inadequate IT support: Prior to the partnership with Open Circle, the SPO did not have an external IT service provider to help maintain and manage the IT systems. This led to frequent IT outages and , which severely impacted the organization’s operations.

„Before working with Open Circle, many processes were manual and there was hardly any IT infrastructure. The frequent IT failures and data losses were no longer acceptable.”
Susanne Gedamke, Managing Director of the SPO

The need for comprehensive digitization was urgent in order to efficiently manage the large volumes of patient data. The part-time staff and freelance specialists needed secure and always available access to the data in order to be able to work effectively. It was also necessary to transfer large volumes of data, such as X-ray images, securely and quickly to specialists, which was not possible with the existing infrastructure.

The implementation of the new IT infrastructure brought with it a number of challenges. One major hurdle was familiarizing employees, who were previously used to analogue work processes, with the new digital infrastructure. The introduction of the new systems was initially met with resistance and fears of change. Open Circle was able to allay these fears through comprehensive training and ongoing support. Technicians were on hand to help staff through the transition and ensure they could quickly adapt to the new workflows and devices.

Recovering deleted data

Another challenge was data loss. Daily and secure backups prevented problems from arising in the first place. Former employees had deleted important data, but this could be fully restored with just a few clicks. This also strengthened employees’ trust and acceptance of the new IT structure once again.

The physical relocation of the organization

The relocation of the SPO to new premises in 2023 required that the IT systems were seamlessly integrated into the new location and that the SPO’s operations were not interrupted during the move.

Open Circle provided on-site technicians to ensure that the IT systems were fully functional before, during and after the move and that all devices were set up correctly. With the new managed workstation, the service scope was expanded with Open Circle. The new hardware and pre-set software that came with it provided even more security and efficiency. The integration of new employees and the continuous updating of all workstations on site or remotely was simplified and constant functionality was guaranteed.

“The move was a major challenge for us, but thanks to the support of Open Circle, everything went smoothly. The IT systems were up and running straight away and we were able to continue working immediately.”
Susanne Gedamke, Managing Director of the SPO

The implementation of Nextcloud, daily backups and a robust network and firewall infrastructure significantly improved the data security of the SPO Patientenorganisation. Modern hardware and the move away from paper-based processes significantly increased flexibility and efficiency.

„Open Circle’s support has a very fast response time and problems are usually solved immediately. Our goals were all achieved within the specified time. We are completely satisfied.”
Arianna Colacino, Head of the SPO back office

The partnership between SPO and Open Circle has shown how a well-designed IT solution enables organizations to operate more efficiently and securely. The successful implementation of the new IT infrastructure and the ongoing support from Open Circle have helped the SPO to optimize its work processes and increase data security.

„We look forward to continuing to work with Open Circle in the future and further optimizing our IT infrastructure.”
Susanne Gedamke, Managing Director of the SPO

For the future, the SPO has already tackled the next projects with Open Circle. Telephony is now to be completely digitized without handheld telephones in order to provide patients with a direct line to consultants similar to a hotline. In addition, established Microsoft 365 calendar and e-mail solutions are to be integrated into the cloud system.

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