Bull advises French Biomedicine Agency as it upgrades its information systems to assume new medical responsibilities
Paris,
November
14, 2006 -
The French Biomedicine Agency (Agence de la biomédecine) has asked Bull to define the new master plan for its information systems, as it adapts to take on its new medical responsibilities in the areas of human fertility and reproduction, embryology and human genetics.
Three fundamental elements will drive the implementation of this new information system: the need to take on board significant growth ; the absolute necessity for uninterrupted service, in particular for activities concerned with organ donation and transplants; and finally all the data exchanges between health professionals in these new areas, amounting to several thousand additional users.
"The Agence de la biomédecine's areas of influence are highly sensitive and strategic, as they relate to key social issues such as genetics and embryology," explains Dominique Chambéry, the Agency's Information System Director. "We have identified three priorities: opening up the information system to external partners; quality and relevance of shared data; and responsiveness."
Bull's consultancy project for the agency focused on three main areas for consideration, to enable a new master plan to be drawn up and a series of recommendations to be made on key organizational, technical and safety areas:
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The structure of the business information system, and epidemiological data
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The distribution of information in each business area, opening up and interconnecting the information system to external systems
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Optimizing technical and security infrastructures, with respect to strategic issues linked to the information system.
"Bull's consultants achieved a good understanding of the specific issues related to our business activities very quickly indeed, and were able to mobilize users from the Information Systems Directorate, the specialists in their fields (doctors and epidemiologists) and the senior management who are heavily involved in this strategic project. They knew how to rework our business challenges into a realistic and structured IT construction plan. The high quality of interviews and exchanges has taken this consultancy project beyond IT concerns into the realm of organizational recommendations," adds Dominique Chambéry.
This project confirms Bull's positioning in the health sector and in its consulting business. "Bull's consulting expertise reflects our capacity to help customers in overhauling business processes and aligning their information system with the needs dictated by business. To achieve this, Bull's 300 consultants reap the maximum benefits from technologies, to define and structure effective information systems," emphasizes Michel Husson, Director of Bull Management, Bull's consulting center of expertise.
Bull's work in the health sector
In its capacity as a partner to the healthcare sector, Bull helps health professionals to define their emerging needs when it comes to rationalizing expenditure, exchanging healthcare data, and even costing and pricing the various strands of their business activities. Bull's expertise is built around its mastery of secure network infrastructures, integration of functional and business applications, and hosting. As of January 2005, Bull has been an active partner in the Santénergie consortium, set up with Siemens and the EDS to contribute to the development of the French national single electronic patient record or DMP (Dossier Médical Personnel) initiative.
About the Agence de la biomédecine
Operating under the auspices of the French Ministry of Health, the Agence de la bioimédecine, a national public body, operates within four major areas of biology and human medicine: medically assisted reproduction, pre-natal and genetic diagnostics, research on embryos and embryonic stem cells, and the donation and transplant of organs, tissues and cells (managed since 1994 by the Etablissment Français de Greffes, or the French transplant agency).
These various medical activities are the focus for major therapeutic, health and ethical concerns. In its relations with society, the Agency's appointed mission is to help bring professionals and researchers collective answers to the questions facing them. Its main aim is to improve patient care.
Created in the wake of the French bio-ethics law of 6 August 2004, the Agence de la biomédecine is the guarantor of equity, ethical correctness, and the transparency of the activities for which it is responsible, anticipating their development as necessary.
As a result of its expertise, the Agence de la biomédecine is the reference point for all medical, scientific and ethical aspects related to these issues. It is notably responsible for:
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Monitoring, evaluating and controlling therapeutic and biological activities falling within its domains of competence, and ensure their transparency
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Contributing to the development of regulations for activities related to its spheres of responsibility
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Authorizing in-vitro research on embryos and embryonic cells, and conservation of embryonic stem cells for research purposes
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Authorizing exchanges with other countries of reproductive cells and embryonic stem cells for research purposes
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Accrediting multi-disciplinary prenatal and pre-implantation diagnostic centers
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Approving practitioners that provide medically-assisted human reproductive services, pre-natal and pre-implantation diagnosis, as well as laboratory analysis of genetic characteristics
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Taking over the full range of functions provided by the former Etablissement français des Greffes as regards organ procurement and transplant
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Managing, with all the necessary guarantees, the records required for managing and follow-up of therapeutic activities relating to its field of competence
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Promoting the donation of organs, tissues and human body cells, as well as the donation of human gametes (sperm and ova).
About Bull, Architect of an Open World
As one of the leading European IT companies, Bull delivers open, flexible and secure information systems. The group helps public and private sector customers transform their information systems, applying its know-how and expertise in three main areas:
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Capitalizing on its extensive mainframe experience, Bull designs and produces robust, innovative and open servers, based on industry-standard technologies;
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Building on its alliances with leading ISVs, Bull develops and implements flexible and interoperable application infrastructures which give business processes the freedom to evolve;
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Bringing together recognized expertise in end-to-end IT security, Bull secures data and exchanges that are so critical in preserving customers' business integrity.
Bull has a particularly strong presence in the public, healthcare, finance, telecommunications, manufacturing and defense sectors. Its distribution network and business partners cover more than 60 countries worldwide.
For more information visit: http://www.bull.com
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