Clinical Information System in Australia - Case Study Example

A Report on Clinical Information System Name: Institution: Introduction Clinical health in Australia has undergone several changes for the past few years. There has been a need by the clinical sector to enhance the ability of the health practitioners to improve on ways of making decision about the patients (International Conference on Information Technology in Health Care: Socio-technical Approaches, & Westbrook, 2009). Major hospital clinicians in Australia have thus appreciated the significance of technology in keeping pace with the growing trends in the service delivery in a global perspective (UNISCON & Yang, 2009, p.95). Consequently, clinical information system in Australia was earmarked as the most important basis to effect these changes. The researches were conducted to weigh the possible options for integrating the patient’s information with the hospitals. Following these conducted research outcomes, the clinicians in both major public and private hospital saw the need to implement the Emerging System module, EHS (Australian National Health Informatics Conference, Maeder, Martin-Sanchez & IOS Press, 2012). The implementation of the EHs which uses the patient’s Electronic Medical Records saw several benefits accruing to the hospital that implemented EHS and had a major significance of reducing the cost of treatment with a highly rated value, and thus increasing the saving in the clinical sectors (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). Patient’s progress could thereafter be tracked besides the outcomes. This development, greatly improved the Australian clinical health sector particularly in term of the CIS. This paper will thus be centered towards the development, implementation and further improvement in the Clinical Information Systems in Australia with EHS forming the basis for these revelations. Background/ Overview In Australia, there has been a greater need to change the initial policies and the government view on the management of the Clinical Information Systems in the clinical health sectors (Australian National Health Informatics Conference, Maeder, Martin-Sanchez & IOS Press, 2012). Lack of a proper policy and procedure put in place linking the major private and public hospital with patients have caused adverse effects in terms of retrieving the patients information during the admission, and subsequent monitoring of the discharged patients (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). This was basically due to minimal percentage on the usage of ICT in the health sector. There was, therefore, a need for researchers to conduct researches on possible proactive strategies to eliminate the poor management of ill-health. Many experts have lost their lives as a result of the prolonged information retrieval procedures undertaken at the point of admission. For this reason, there was an urgent need to predetermine information about particular patients, in order to speed up the rate of retrieving the information (Australian National Health Informatics Conference, Maeder, Martin-Sanchez & IOS Press, 2012). Definition of terms CIS: This refers to Clinical Information System that was adopted in Australia as per this context. PEMR: This refers to patient Electronic Medical Record, the data collected from the patients via EHS ICT: This refers to information and Communication technology that deLacyTM used to improve CIS in 1992 at St Vincent’s private hospital. EHS: This refers to as Emerging System, EHS which is a module designed to use the PEMR deLacy TM: This refers the firm that carried out the case study in 1990 on the significance of clinical health care to adopt the use of information technology in its management of clinical health information. ST VINCENT’S PRIVATE HOSPITAL: A private hospital that first attempted and adopted the ICT in 1992 enhanced CIS and was in partnership with the deLacyTM Review of specific case study deLacy TM: A CLINICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR HOSPITALS Development and Use at ST Vincent’s Private Hospital This study recognized and appreciated the significance of ICT within the health care sector. deLacy further appreciated the value of forward–thinking management and staff besides the effective innovation (Australian National Health Informatics Conference, Maeder, Martin-Sanchez & IOS Press, 2012). In the early 1990s, St Vincent’s private Hospital being the driving force behind this study, put its effort towards establishment of a point care CIS. On October 1992, the first impact of this research was felt after various trials and a notable input from the clinical stakeholders levels (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). The system provided the clinical staff after going live on October 1992, with a single data base that was relational of clinical and its associated information, which the staff could access (Australian National Health Informatics Conference, Maeder, Martin-Sanchez & IOS Press, 2012). To facilitate the access of deLacy, there was a need for acquisition and installation of the necessary infrastructure which would aid in accessing the system from every corner of the hospital. The installation of a wireless network was done and personal computers on the wards were placed on specially designed trolleys to make them mobile (UNISCON & Yang, 2009). The system drastically and positively changed the management of the clinical health in terms of service delivery to the patients and the speed of retrieving the information about patients as well keeping a track on patient’s progress as outcomes were awaited. Discussion of the case chosen The Emerging System (EHS) is chosen as the basis for discussing the improvement in the clinical information system in Australia. Emerging System EHS in CIS This was a vital step taken by the clinicians in Australia to enhance the clinical decision making process and the optimization of the patient health outcomes. It was a leading edge and award winning web based on clinical information system that earmarked the incorporation of computerization in the CIS in Australia. Development and operations of EHS It was developed by both the public and private hospital clinicians working in the major Australian hospitals (UNISCON & Yang, 2009). EHS reflects rapid changes in practice as it is capable of working as the nurses, doctors as well as the allied staff. It is integrated in such a way that provides, operators with a single login view of the entirety of the episode of a particular patient. Once the user has signed in there is no further requirements of log in and out of several system to retrieve the required data. EHS begins with the collection of the patient’s vital data referred to as the patient’s pre-admission information. Documentation of the collected data is then archived in the medical archives after ordering procedures and tests are carried out. Based on risk assessment of a particular patient, EHS automates care guides and discharge planning and sending the summaries about the patients to the general practitioners (UNISCON & Yang, 2009). Besides optimization of the patient’s outcomes, EHS tracks and notes the patient’s progress. The data collected against patients forms the EMR, Electronic Medical Record, which can be easily accessed via various devices such as mobile devices enabling rational decisions as one keeps track on the patient’s outcomes. Benefits of the CIS As per the Australian context, as reported by Heard et al in the year 2000, a report about the Clinical Information System, (CIS), it was revealed that CIS had the following benefits; i) There was a reduction in prescriptions to which infection was never susceptible ii) In addition, there was a decrease in orders for drugs the patients were allergic to. iii) Besides, computerization of health sector was accompanied by a decline in frequencies of adverse events caused by infection causative agents levels (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). iv) The duration of stay was also reduced as a result of the CIS implementation in Australian health sector. v) The days to which the excess doses were given as well as excess doses reduced significantly levels (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). vi) There was a further revelation that drug prescription via the use of computers significantly lead to minimization of cost, fastened the service delivery speed, accuracy in prescription as well as appropriateness (UNISCON & Yang, 2009). It was concluded that a 30 percent was saved in terms of cost as a result of this project. vii) Emerging Systems, EHS has the capability of coming up with the every solution to enhance clinical decision making processes. Besides, keeping the risks attached to patients at the lowest levels and improving the flow of patients has also resulted from this project levels (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). viii) EHS affordability and its highly rated CIS forms components of Patients Electronic Medical Record which is easily accessible by every stakeholder, and will hence streamlined as well as improve the path way of the clinical communication. ix) EHS is of a greater significance as it supports national quality and safety standards in terms of services delivery. Future development of EHS in the CIS EHS has been reported to be spending about 18 percent of its revenues basically on sponsoring further research and development levels (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). This is aimed at improving CIS further by being current with the daily global changing trends in electronic health records (Australian National Health Informatics Conference, Maeder, Martin-Sanchez & IOS Press, 2012). There is a need for clients to introduce their EHS modules gradually for an effective EMR implementation. This will further help in the realization of a successful implementation of the CIS. Limitations There are a lot of costs needed for the project to be implemented. These include a comprehensive cost and benefit analysis and the cost of engaging the staff in the implementation. Conclusion The introduction of a computerized system in the clinical sector of health has enabled many hospitals to keep track of their patients. EHS which is easily accessible via a single sign has tremendously changed the decision making process in this field (UNISCON &Yang, 2009). It is worth noting that, every hospital should buy the idea of EHS in their CIS in order to benefit from such services which enables them to bring down the cost to affordable levels (Pries-Heje & International Federation for Information Processing, 2010). The increased savings resulting from the use of EHs modules has made it easier to manage the Australian’s Hospitals. It is therefore, proper for each and every hospital to install such devices and programmes in order to keep pace with the changing trends in the health sector. Reference Australian National Health Informatics Conference, Maeder, A. J., Martin-Sanchez, F. J., & IOS Press. (2012). Health Informatics: Building a healthcare future through trusted information; selected papers from the 20th Australian National Health Informatics Conference (HIC 2012) \. Amsterdam: IOS Press Inc. International Conference on Information Technology in Health Care: Socio-technical Approaches, & Westbrook, J. (2009). Information technology in health care 2009: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Information Technology in Health Care: Socio-Technical Approaches. Amsterdam: IOS Press. Pries-Heje, J., & International Federation for Information Processing. (2010). Human benefit through the diffusion of information systems design science research: IFIP WG 8.2/8.6 international working conference, Perth, Australia, March 30 - April 1, 2010 ; proceedings. Berlin: Springer. UNISCON 2009, & Yang, J. (2009). Information systems: Modeling, development, and integration ; proceedings, Third International United Information Systems Conference, UNISCON 2009, Sydney, Australia, April 21-24, 2009. Berlin: Springer Read More