General Hospital, Ikorodu has achieved another major milestone with its recent investment in a new, completely Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system for keeping patients’ medical records – a move that will more closely integrate patients’ care for quality medical practices. The project, which is in accordance with the State Government’s eHealth project, (an Interactive Hospital Information System Software, being implemented by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Science & Technology) is being implemented in phases.
An Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system is a digital toolkit that is the equivalent of paper records in any hospital. EMRs typically contain general information such as treatment and medical history about a patient. All health workers in General Hospital, Ikorodu, directly associated with the EMR, have been trained to be IT compliant.
The Electronic Medical Record System (EMR) allows General Hospital, Ikorodu to create a unique record database of all patient’s medical information such as medical history, future appointments, current medications, allergies, etc. With this system in place, any patient in the hospital will be registered on a central computer server, and since it is an integrated system, the doctors treating a patient will have simultaneous access to the up-to-date medical records and treatment information. The diagnostic segment on the EMR ensures tests can be ordered by doctors online while results can be returned via the same channel.
The system also comes with a complete billing system that will ensure proper accounting and transparency. The reporting and statistics have also been built to conform to international standards. The solution is web based and is being complemented with a wide area computer network linking all relevant departments of the hospital. Authorization levels would be determined and monitored for all relevant health workers to ensure patients’ confidentiality.
Speaking on this laudable project, the Medical Director/CEO, General Hospital, Ikorodu, Dr. Taiwo Hassan, said, “This milestone is a major accomplishment for us and will promote patients’ safety while enhancing their medical care experience. Instead of paying for medical record cards, patients would now be provided with automated EMR cards. Our priority as a hospital is to consistently deliver quality healthcare that exceeds patients’ expectations. General Hospital, Ikorodu’s investment in these initiatives confirms its commitment to its strategic objective of being the first choice for healthcare solutions of international standards in Lagos State.”
The EMR initiative has major benefits, some of which are:
• Easy access to patients’ records irrespective of the department the patient is accessing care.
• Reduced waiting time (time saved from retrieval of files, lab results, X-rays) and elimination of missing folders.
• Providing accurate, up to date and complete information about patients’ medical history at the point of care.
• Helping providers to effectively diagnose patients, reduce medical errors, and provide safer health care.
• Patients’ medical confidentiality is guaranteed.
• Better management of the appointment system.
• More space at the hospital records department, which means a more conducive environment when visiting.
As the hospital continues to invest in high quality healthcare systems, patients are encouraged to take full benefits of these investments.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
(GENERAL HOSPITAL, IKORODU)
