From problem to solution:
ThinClient changeover at the Fichtelgebirge Hospital

🚧 Initial situation and challenges

At the Fichtelgebirge Hospital, there were repeated problems with the use of use of Philips dictation machines in conjunction with the operating system Igel OS12 and remote desktop connections (RDP). These restrictions impaired the smooth flow of work, especially in everyday medical work and led to the IT department the IT department to look for alternatives.

Challenges at a glance:
- Compatibility problems with peripherals (digital dictation machines).
- Limited flexibility

Thin Client in the clinic
Thin client at the workplace

⚙ ️ Implementation with openthinclient 

The hospital discovered openthinclient via a Google search. Registration, download and initial tests went smoothly. System administrator Lukas Peuckert praised the good documentation and was able to set up the solution largely independently. Following positive feedback from the test phase, the roll-out was planned.

One difference to the previous solution was the boot behavior:
openthinclient uses PXE, whereas Igel uses local boot media. The „Localboot“ app was set up together with the support team for workstations with independent boot requirements.

Implementation steps:
- Test phase with direct positive user experience
- Fast, independent commissioning
- Technical adjustment of the boot behavior using „Localboot“
- Support of the rollout by the support of openthinclient

Thin client at a workstation

💡 Technical requirements

The openthinclient solution was successfully integrated into the existing infrastructure, which is based on Windows RDS. Today, it is used both in the main hospital and in two medical care centers (MVZs). 
The ThinClients are in productive use in various areas and are being continuously expanded.

Current locations:
- Patient admission
- Emergency room
- Doctor's room
- Reception and gate area 

Future extensions:
- Introduction of QR code barcode readers
- Use of ThinClients in operating theaters

🎯 Conclusion and feedback

The switch to openthinclient has brought the Fichtelgebirge Hospital numerous advantages in daily IT administration. The centralized control of clients and the quick setup of new devices simplify operations and save valuable time in everyday IT work. Updates are rolled out centrally and are available on all devices immediately after a reboot. The replacement process is also greatly simplified in the event of failures.

Advantages at a glance:
- Support for Philips digital voice recorders
- Simple management via a graphical user interface
- Quick setup and configuration of new clients
- Time savings for updates and maintenance
- Stable operation in medically sensitive areas

„Everything is managed centrally, it's super simple. I do an update once and it is distributed to all clients by the next morning at the latest. Even if a client fails, the effort is minimal:
Unplug the defective client, plug in the new one, 2 clicks in the openthinclient manager, save, done - switch on the new client and that's it.‘

(Lukas Peuckert, system administrator and responsible for the client
Infrastructure at Klinikum Fichtelgebirge)

Thin client in the healthcare sector

KLINIKUM FICHTELGEBIRGE - CLOSER TO THE PATIENT

Klinikum Fichtelgebirge is a renowned healthcare facility in the region and offers high-quality medical care at the most modern level. With its two locations in Marktredwitz and Selb, the clinic guarantees comprehensive care for the people in the region.

Klinikum Fichtelgebirge Thin Client