HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION LEADERSHIP AWARD
ISLAND HOSPITAL
Digitalisation of the hospital has always been one of the top priorities for Island Hospital . By making a shift from a system burdened by old papers and files to one using advanced Electronic Medical Records ( EMR ), the hospital is able to reduce reliance on manual labour and the opportunity for human error . Information within the hospital travels faster and is more easily accessible for doctors , nurses , and staff .
With EMR , having consolidated patient records essentially means that clinicians are getting better accessibility and a more timely and consistent overview of patients ’ health conditions , which ultimately leads to more tailored treatments for better clinical outcomes .
Reducing reliance on paper and moving towards a paperless environment is future-proof and will improve the overall safety and reliability of the hospital . In effect , it can :
• Reduce the margin for human error ( less handwritten and mathematical errors )
• Pick up errors in the system that were overlooked by staff ( over-dosage of medicines prescribed or allergies are immediately highlighted in the system )
• Reduce the time patients spend in the hospital ( through faster and more efficient workflows )
• Make tele-consultations possible and much more convenient ( doctors can access patient files / information on the spot rather than wait for physical reports )
Adeline Goh & Varun Panjwani
Remote retrieval of information is significantly sped up with the use of EMR . It demands less time chasing charts and reports and ensures legible content , resulting in faster treatments and better diagnosis . With a central repository of patient records , time and cost are significantly reduced by reducing paperwork through less duplication of tests and better access to coordinated care . Paper-based files are easy to destroy , manipulate , and impossible to track who accessed the records before . Besides reducing the wait-times for patients , the hospital is also able to increase the safety and security of patient data .
The EMR system is patient centric and coordinates the entire patient journey from admission to discharge . With built-in medical billing , a pa- tient ’ s discharge process is considerably faster when charges can be quickly consolidated for the final bill .
Integration of our online appointment-making system and the hospital ’ s EMR has made it possible to get real-time confirmation online as opposed to when appointments are made offline . Through EMR , individual clinics can also easily keep track , schedule a follow-up , set reminders , automatically notify patients , and view doctors ’ schedules at one glance .
Communication with patients has similarly been made seamless and more effective with key information readily and easily accessible . Patient experience is further improved as :
• Wait-times at clinics are significantly reduced as retrieval of a patient ’ s health records can be accessed with a click compared to being physically retrieved . With time saved , clinics are also able to slot in walk-in patients without prior appointments .
• Records are accessible to the multiple doctors that a patient may consult , reducing tests which may be duplicative and lessening unnecessary burdens on the patient . All of the patient ’ s tests and imaging results , as well as allergies , are now easily accessible on the EMR system .
• Overall , the hospital has been able to provide better clinical and medical outcomes for patients as the EMR has improved communication between clinicians on their patient ’ s medical history as a whole .
98 SEPTEMBER 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com