"M.D. Anderson's goal is to eradicate cancer, and we see technology as a way to get us there faster. To achieve that goal, we need to move at a faster pace and grow the organization. Our center requires a more efficient way for our business analysts, often clinicians, to talk to the users of these systems. iRise's simulation gives us the mechanism to communicate the desired application clearly, and therefore, speed the delivery of new, critical care systems. Now we have more time to spend on improving patient outcomes and make cancer history."

– Dr. Lynn Vogel, Ph.D., Vice President and CIO of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Background
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has been leading the fight against cancer for more than 60 years. This cancer-only care hospital helps some 70,000 patients each year, boasts above-average patient outcomes and provides both inpatient and outpatient care. Not only does the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center offer hope to patients with the disease, it also helps develop new weapons against it with its extensive research facilities and 100 percent cancer-focused faculty. Additionally, the hospital is a teaching facility for medical professionals, researchers and other professionals.

Challenge
In the fall of 2006, M.D. Anderson was challenged with implementing several projects under the umbrella goal of its ongoing electronic medical records (EMR) project which fuses genomics information to patient records. They needed to provide an online order entry application around order sets, a grouping of orders used by physicians and nurses regarding a patient's situation.

Result
iRise, in partnership with global IT consultancy Avanade, involved more than 15 stakeholders in the review process. Together, they were able to roll out the new application, training and documentation to hundreds of users up to 50% faster, with no down time. Because business analysts could be used to create the simulation, no developers needed to be taken offline.