The Challenge
Each Belgian hospital collected vascular surgery data in its own way, using different Electronic Health Record systems with incompatible formats. Valuable surgical outcome data remained isolated in different Electronic Health Records, preventing quality benchmarking, research collaboration, and evidence-based improvements that could save lives.
The Solution
VZN partnered with Tiro.health to create a comprehensive vascular surgery quality registry, enabling surgeons across 13 hospitals to share data regardless of their EHR system.
The Results
Today, Belgian vascular surgeons access real-time quality dashboards, participate in multicentric research, and continuously improve patient outcomes through collaborative data insights, all without additional administrative burden.
From vision to reality: A Belgian healthcare success story
When Prof. Dr. Inge Fourneau envisioned a future where every Belgian vascular surgeon could contribute to shared quality improvement, she faced a fundamental challenge:
How do you unite hospitals using completely different technology systems while ensuring clinical teams remain focused on patient care?
"We needed a solution that would allow all Belgian vascular surgeons to participate in our quality registry, regardless of their EHR, without creating additional administrative burden" explains Prof. Fourneau, leading vascular surgeon at UZ Leuven and head of the VZN vascular surgery working group.
Working with Tiro.health, Prof. Fourneau and her team found a practical solution that addressed both the technical challenges and clinical workflow requirements.
The problem: Isolated excellence
The VZN network includes experienced vascular surgeons across multiple Belgian hospitals, yet each institution operated in isolation. Critical surgical outcome data remained trapped within individual EHR systems, creating invisible barriers to collaboration and improvement.
Each hospital used different software solutions with no standardized way to share or compare surgical outcomes. This fragmentation meant that techniques used at one institution might take a lot of time to reach surgeons elsewhere, while patterns that could improve patient safety remained hidden from view.
”As VZN, we organize dedicated clinical working groups where surgeons discuss outcomes and share knowledge to improve quality" notes Prof. Caroline Weltens, Medical Director of VZN. But we were sitting on a huge amount of clinical data that we couldn't properly access. Our network brings together skilled vascular surgeons, yet we lacked a systematic way to learn from each other's experiences through structured data sharing.
Typically, these types of quality initiatives rely on manual chart reviews and spreadsheet management, an approach that is both time-intensive and prone to inconsistency. VZN specifically wanted to avoid this manual route, knowing that such projects typically require months of data collection, often delivering insights only after clinical practices have already moved forward.
Finding the right partner in Tiro.health
What set Tiro.health apart wasn't merely the technology but rather their partnership philosophy. Rather than offering another software solution, Tiro.health positioned itself as a strategic partner committed to advancing vascular surgery quality across Belgium.
The path to success required multiple iterations and continuous refinement. Working closely with Prof. Fourneau's vascular surgery working group, Tiro.health embraced an iterative approach based on clinical feedback. The team started small with core templates and gradually expanded functionality based on real-world usage.
"We went through many rounds of feedback with the working group" recalls Prof. Fourneau. "Tiro.health was willing to continuously adjust and improve based on our clinical input. They understood that getting the details right was more important than rushing to launch."
One of the significant challenges involved aligning different hospital management approaches across the VZN network. Each institution had its own priorities, technical constraints, and approval processes. Tiro.health navigated these organizational complexities by working individually with each hospital while maintaining consistency across the broader registry.
The collaboration began with deep clinical understanding. Working directly with Prof. Fourneau's team, Tiro.health developed standardized reporting templates for key vascular procedures. For example, the carotid intervention template captures comprehensive data from procedure type and indication through patient characteristics like BMI, to post-operative complications within 30 days including stroke (CVA), transient ischemic attack (TIA), and peripheral nerve injuries. All data points are automatically coded with international medical standards like SNOMED-CT.
Technical solution: EHR-Agnostic Innovation
The breakthrough came with Tiro.health's EHR-agnostic approach. Instead of requiring hospitals to change their existing systems, the platform integrates seamlessly with any EHR through modern healthcare standards like FHIR.
This meant that surgeons could maintain their familiar workflows while contributing to the collective database. A single click from their existing EHR opens a Tiro.health form with patient data pre-populated, minimizing duplicate entry and ensuring accuracy.
The platform's sophisticated backend automatically codes medical data using international standards like SNOMED-CT, ensuring consistency across all participating hospitals while maintaining the flexibility each institution needs.
“Managing data across 10+ hospitals with different EHR systems seemed impossible until we partnered with Tiro.health."
“Managing data across 10+ hospitals with different EHR systems seemed impossible until we partnered with Tiro.health. Now I can ensure data quality and consistency across the entire network without our clinical teams having to change how they work.” Raf Maes, Clinical Support Manager UZ Leuven
Measurable improvement
More than 10 hospitals actively share data through interactive dashboards powered by Tiro.health, with several hospitals using the platform directly for streamlined data capture.
The impact extends far beyond simple data collection. Surgeons now access real-time quality indicators, compare outcomes across network hospitals, and identify best practices that directly improve patient care. When a particular technique shows superior outcomes at one hospital, the insight becomes immediately visible to colleagues across the network.
We're not just collecting data but generating insights that improve patient care
"We're not just collecting data but generating insights that improve patient care" emphasizes Prof. De Ridder. "This success has convinced us to expand this approach to as many working groups as possible across our network.”
The registry now tracks comprehensive outcomes for major procedures including carotid interventions and infrarenal aortic aneurysm repairs, with standardized follow-up protocols ensuring consistent quality monitoring.
Future-ready healthcare
Perhaps most strategically important, this initiative positions the VZN network for healthcare's digital future. As legacy systems like InfoPath forms end-of-life, hospitals often face expensive and disruptive transitions. The VZN network, however, has already solved this challenge.
Privacy-by-design architecture
Central to the VZN registry's success is Tiro.health's privacy-friendly approach. Patient data remains securely stored within each hospital's own systems, with only pre-agreed anonymized data shared for the collaborative dashboard. This design ensures that while hospitals can benchmark their outcomes against network averages, individual patient information never leaves the originating institution.
"The privacy framework was established upfront through clear agreements about what data would be anonymized and shared" notes Marga Lavaerts, administrative director VZN. "Hospitals can see how they compare to network benchmarks, but sensitive patient details remain protected within their own systems."
Our partnership with Tiro.health ensures we're not just solving today's challenges, but building a foundation for tomorrow's opportunities in value-based healthcare
"Our partnership with Tiro.health ensures we're not just solving today's challenges, but building a foundation for tomorrow's opportunities in value-based healthcare" explains Prof. De Ridder.
The technology-independent approach means that even as individual hospitals upgrade or change their EHR systems, the collaborative data sharing continues uninterrupted. Historical data remains accessible, and new hospitals can join the dashboard regardless of their technical infrastructure.
Expanding impact
The success of the vascular surgery initiative has catalyzed interest across other medical specialties within the VZN network. Multiple departments are now exploring similar quality registries and outcome tracking possibilities, demonstrating the scalable potential of this collaborative approach.
The technology behind success
Behind the intuitive user experience lies sophisticated healthcare technology designed specifically for clinical workflows. Tiro.health's platform automatically codes medical data using international standards, ensures FHIR compliance for seamless integration, and provides real-time validation to maintain data quality.
For busy surgeons, the experience remains remarkably simple. Smart defaults and intuitive interfaces minimize typing, while structured templates capture comprehensive data without disrupting clinical workflows.
"The Tiro.health platform makes complex data capture feel intuitive" explains Raf Maes, Clinical Support Manager UZ Leuven. "Our surgeons can focus on what they do best while contributing to network-wide quality improvement. The system handles the complexity behind the scenes."
This project contributes to a broader initiative focused on quality control and benchmarking with other hospitals, ultimately benefiting patients
“The integration of Tiro into our EHR makes it very user-friendly to enter the necessary data into the database in real time. This project contributes to a broader initiative focused on quality control and benchmarking with other hospitals, ultimately benefiting patients. Dr. Johan De Coster, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, AZORG.
Looking forward
As the VZN initiative continues expanding, it serves as a model for medical networks across Europe. The combination of clinical leadership, strategic vision, operational excellence, and innovative technology has created something truly unprecedented.
For Tiro.health, this partnership represents more than successful implementation; it demonstrates how healthcare technology should work. By focusing on clinical needs first and building technology that adapts to existing workflows, meaningful improvements in patient care become achievable.
The VZN vascular surgery initiative proves that when clinical excellence meets innovative technology through thoughtful partnership, the result transforms not just data collection, but patient care itself.
Through partnerships like VZN's vascular surgery initiative, Tiro.health continues supporting healthcare professionals in their mission to deliver superior patient care through improved efficiency and data quality.
Ready to transform your department's data strategy?
Contact our team to discover how Tiro.health can support your quality improvement initiatives.
