QUALITY, CONSISTENT & SAFER PATIENT CARE THROUGH IT ASSISTANT

For the first time, an electronic system is designed to participate in and improve patient care by recommending to doctors the best possible treatment based on international best practices and evidence.

This system will be fully developed and implemented at the National Healthcare Group’s hospitals within the next few years.

Other features of this able IT assistant to the doctors include:

• E-ordering for medication, x-ray and laboratory tests for patients. The system checks for appropriateness of medication, x-ray and laboratory tests orders, and suggests other relevant orders if necessary.
• E-prescription checks and alerts doctors to drug allergies, drug-to-drug interactions, and dosage caution for certain medical conditions.
• E-alerts prompts doctors to repetitive x-ray and/or laboratory tests orders.
• Patients can expect quality, consistent and safer care as a result.

This electronic system is being implemented on the Soarian software package by Siemens.

Patients’ Benefits

Currently, NHG doctors are already prescribing medication for patients electronically in the Specialist Outpatient Clinics. With this new system, doctors at the National University Hospital (NUH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) – NHG’s two largest hospitals – will also be able to e-order x-ray and laboratory tests for all its patients by June next year. Doctors at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and NHG Polyclinics will likewise be able to do so by the end of 2006.

With this system, doctors can order medication and tests for patients electronically and do not need to fill up hardcopy forms anymore. More importantly, NHG will be among the first healthcare institutions in Singapore and the region to go electronic (ie. paperless) for the entire medication, x-ray and laboratory process - from ordering to dispensing of medication as well as ordering and releasing of x-ray and lab results to doctors – for both inpatients and outpatients.

The key patients’ benefits of this new electronic system are:

1. Consistent and Quality Patient Care
When the system is fully developed and implemented in the next few years, it will participate in patient care by recommending to the medical team the best possible care and treatment. While this system does not take away decision making by doctors, it facilitates their work by making available pertinent information, based on international best practices and evidence, when they need it, where they need it.

2. Enhanced Patient Safety
E-prescription checks and alerts doctors to drug allergies, drug-to-drug interactions, and dosage caution for certain medical conditions. Prescribing errors are also reduced as pharmacists no longer need to read doctors’ handwritten paper prescriptions. Nurses also no longer need to transcribe test orders on forms.

3. Cost Savings for Patient
The system alerts doctors to repetitive x-ray and laboratory tests orders. Patients thus do not have to go through and pay for the same test twice.

4. Shorter Waiting Times for Medication
In general, e-prescription will help to shorten waiting times for patients to collect their medication. Once the electronic order arrives from the doctor, the pharmacy staff will start packing the medication. Patients will be able to collect their medication soon after they arrive at the pharmacy.

5. Facilitating Clinical Research for Better Patient Care
In the long run, the system will facilitate clinical research as data on medical practices and drug efficacy outcomes can now be mined electronically. Patients will ultimately benefit from more and higher quality clinical research that translates into better patient treatment and care.

Enhanced Job Satisfaction for Staff in NHG

Over time, as they become more familiar with the system, doctors will spend less time ordering medication and tests via e-forms instead of hardcopy forms. Nursing and pharmacy staff will no longer need to spend time deciphering handwritten notes, or manually shunting doctors’ order forms from place to place. This will reduce the frustration of paper and administrative work.

The time savings will also enable our staff to concentrate on higher value-added work.

Strategic Partnership with Siemens

Siemens is committed to making NHG its regional and global showcase site. It sees the partnership with NHG in Singapore as an essential part of its Asia Pacific strategy for the IT healthcare market.

“NHG is a strategically important customer to Siemens,” said Ms Veronica Allen, Vice President, Healthcare IT Asia Pacific, Siemens Medical Solutions. “The partnership will entail the joint exploration of innovative ways to leverage the Soarian tool to improve the practices around the delivery of care.”

IT and Technology in Healthcare

This latest initiative is part of NHG’s ongoing efforts to leverage IT and technology to provide quality and cost-effective care to patients. The other related projects are the recently launched Lab Automation System (LAS) that will automate the laboratories at NUH and TTSH by end of 2005, and the existing Laboratory Information System (LIS) that allows doctors to access laboratory results electronically in real time. With this new system, the laboratory cycle - from order, sample collection, analysis and finally to result reporting - will be complete.

This new system is also in line with the Ministry of Health’s emphasis on exploiting IT to provide patient-centric and cost effective care. The Electronic Medical Record Exchange (EMRX), launched by MOH in April 2004, enables hospitals and polyclinics from the two public healthcare clusters (NHG and Singhealth) to electronically share vital patient information.

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About the National Healthcare Group

"The National Healthcare Group (NHG) manages:

Four hospitals - Alexandra Hospital, National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital;

The Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre; one National Centre - National Skin Centre;

The NHGP chain of nine polyclinics - Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Hougang, Jurong, Toa Payoh, Woodlands, Yishun;

Three speciality institutes - The Cancer Institute, The Eye Institute and The Heart Institute; and

Five Business Divisions - NHG College, NHG Diagnostics, NHG Gulf, NHG Pharmacy and NetCare Internet Services.

Our vision is "Adding years of healthy life to the people of Singapore".

Media Contact:
Liew Yen Lin
National Healthcare Group
Corporate Communications
DID: 63578413
Pager: 92923877
e-mail: Yen_Lin_Liew@nhg.com.sg

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