BUNDALL e-health company, GPLink, has signed an agreement with the Centre for Health Innovation (CHI) at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital as it seeks to raise $2.5 million.

The agreement with CHI will allow for the joint development of GPLink's software solution, SIENA, and is aimed to take advantage of the $5 billion radiology and pathology industries in Australia. The prospectus will issue 25 million shares at
10 cents each, with the provision for a further $1 million in oversubscriptions.

The software, designed to digitally store and retrieve medical images and other patient information, enables patients, their doctors and specialists to access and view medical information via the internet, eliminating multiple handling of records which can potentially lead to issues such as misdiagnosis and data mistakes.

GPLink managing director Terry Richards says the agreement will fine tune the technology through the transmission and management of patient radiology images and data between the radiology clinic at the hospital and general practitioners and external specialists.

"GPLink's SIENA, or Secure Information Exchange and Network Access, is taking advantage of the move to digital imaging which will eventually do away with the need for analogue or plain film X-ray imaging," says Richards.

"Presently, the industry relies heavily on the use of film for imaging and diagnosis, with the associated costs of this outdated technology, such as development and handling, proving very inefficient. Our latest share offer will provide working capital to continue the development of our software solutions, particularly in the fields of radiology and pathology."

Richards says Australia's radiology and pathology sectors, its two key target markets, are worth $5 billion annually, of which a significant amount is spent on transferring images and information - creating broad scope for the SIENA technology.

"With over 1000 radiology clinics and 15 million film images transferred annually within the radiology industry alone, we can potentially make an enormous impact on time and resources each year by using SIENA," says Richards.

"Other sectors such as pharmaceutical, dental, veterinary, psychiatric and chiropractic services will also be able to benefit from the technology and we are actively pursuing these opportunities. Any improvements in working efficiencies will allow for substantial cost savings to government and the healthcare industry in general, easing the overall burden on the nation's health care system."

Richards says the timing of the share offer also comes on the back of a $1 billion splurge by health departments in each state on new clinical information systems.

"The Queensland Government alone announced in its recent State Budget an additional $150.3 million for information and communication projects that will develop a better health system in Queensland," he says.

"Funding includes $40 million to deliver the Government's e-Health Strategy to support the collection, transmission, storage and access of patient and clinical information in a way that more effectively supports the clinical care process."

The Alfred Hospital's director of radiology, Professor Ken Thomson, believes that by working with companies such as GPLink, clinicians, researchers and industry can improve the quality and safety of healthcare.

"CHI provides purpose-built simulation and test bed facilities so that innovators have the resources to develop, implement and evaluate technological solutions that improve patient care," says Thomson.

"This arrangement will provide for the development of the GPLink solution in the CHI facilities."