Rollout of New Digital Ultrasound Reporting Platform

The rollout of GE HealthCare’s Viewpoint 6 ultrasound platform is helping to modernise digital ultrasound reporting across Maternity and Gynaecology services in Ireland.

Managed by Technology and Transformation Senior Project Manager Rosaleen Shalloe, the programme is replacing older Viewpoint 5 installations across maternity hospitals and supports the wider direction of the HSE Digital for Care 2030 Roadmap.

Viewpoint 6 is a specialised ultrasound reporting and image management system supporting the day-to-day work of clinical teams. In maternity services, it is used to record ultrasound examinations, monitor fetal development and assess fetal growth, including supporting the care of high-risk pregnancies. In gynaecology, it provides a structured way to record pelvic ultrasound examinations and associated findings.

The system also supports improved statistical reporting, providing more consistent data to help monitor activity and support service planning. While the same platform is being introduced across sites, each hospital has its own systems, infrastructure and clinical workflows. Every installation therefore requires careful planning, preparation and engagement with local teams.

Technical infrastructure and system integration have been significant elements of the programme. New infrastructure has been introduced, with servers hosted nationally at all but one site. Historical patient data has also been migrated, ensuring clinical teams retain access to previous records. National hosting has supported a more consistent approach to system management across the service.

Integration with existing hospital systems has improved local workflows. Connections to the National Patient Administration System (PAS), commonly known as the Integrated Patient Management System (iPMS), allow patient demographics to be retrieved directly, reducing manual data entry.

At University Hospital Waterford, the implementation provided an opportunity to move from manual entry to an automated iPMS interface, with similar automation planned for Mayo University Hospital.

At designated Maternal and Newborn Clinical Management System (MN-CMS) sites, completed reports and growth metrics are transferred into the Electronic Health Record. At sites using the National Incident Management System (NIMIS), including Regional Hospital Mullingar, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, Portiuncula University Hospital and Wexford General Hospital, ultrasound equipment also interfaces with NIMIS for radiology image archiving.

The implementation has involved hospital management, local business managers, central hosting and IT teams, local ICT and NIMIS teams, GE HealthCare and MDI Medical, which carries out the Viewpoint 6 installations. Clinical involvement has been central, with sonographers contributing to workflow design, system customisations, data validation, testing and training. Their clinical knowledge and practical experience have helped shape how Viewpoint 6 is configured and used within each hospital.

To date, ten sites have been completed through the Technology and Transformation managed programme, beginning with Cork University Maternity Hospital in June 2023. These include Regional Hospital Mullingar, University Hospital Kerry, University Hospital Waterford, Tipperary University Hospital, Cavan Monaghan General Hospital, University Hospital Galway, Letterkenny University Hospital, Portiuncula University Hospital and University Maternity Hospital Limerick. Viewpoint 6 updates have also been completed at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and the Dublin maternity hospitals.

The current programme continues with Sligo University Hospital, targeting completion in September 2026. St Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny, Mayo University Hospital and Wexford General Hospital are planned for 2027, with Regional Hospital Portlaoise planned for 2027/2028. Lessons from completed installations around infrastructure, data migration, system integration, local workflows and clinical engagement are helping to inform planning for the remaining sites.