Lincor Solutions, a supplier of hospital bedside technology, has announced its first contracts for health clinics in Eastern Europe, valued at over 500,000 euros.

The MEDIVista platform, installed at the Medissimo Clinic, Bratislava, Slovakia and Lozenetz Hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria, will go live in the next few weeks.

"It's a great validation of what we've been doing in Western European countries," said Richard Cooke, Lincor's chief executive officer. "The new facilities identified our solutions, and wanted to invest in 21st century technology."

Walking into some European hospitals in 2008 can be a blast to the past. Though broadband is widely consumed, for example, some French hospitals still rely on coin-operated television sets for patient entertainment.

At nearly 11,000 beds in 50 hospitals across 14 countries, Lincor's bedside terminals are helping hospitals make the transition into the future. In addition to on-demand television and broadband internet, the terminals also have smartcard ports and scanners for patient bracelets and medications.

"This is technology that's in your local supermarket," said Cooke, "but a lot of Eastern European countries have come from, historically, a low base in healthcare investment."

Lincor sees bedside technology as benefiting hospitals in a number of ways. For example, many hospitals lack a real-time view of bed availability, but now, when a bed is vacated and ready for a new patient, it can be digitally scanned, immediately notifying the front desk.

Similarly, diabetic patients can receive special menus on their touch screens, alerting the kitchen staff of their individual needs. Hospital care professionals will also have secure access to electronic medical records.

The next milestone for Lincor will be an expansion into the United States market under the Obama presidency, which holds promise for advancements in healthcare IT. "The new administration's plans are to make big changes in healthcare," said Cooke. "We hope to play a part."