Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) will implement a Clinical Information System (CIS) by next year that will lead to creation of a personal Electronic Health Record (EHR) for every patient by 2015. CIS will be first introduced at Al Khor hospital in January 2014 and will be systematically expanded to other hospitals and primary health care centres across the country in three months. It will be fully implemented by 2015, a senior HMC official said yesterday. The implementation of the CIS system is a joint programme between HMC and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC). The implementation within both HMC and PHCC’s existing services will see the creation of a single, integrated EHR for every patient moving away from paper-based processes, said Dr Abdul Wahab Al Musleh, Deputy Chief of Medical, Academic and Research Affairs for Clinical Information Systems yesterday. This EHR will provide immediate access to patient data, access to order certain prescriptions and investigations, such as x-rays and other tests. “Patients will benefit by implementing one of the most advanced clinical systems to improve patient care and revolutionise the future of our care delivery,” said Dr Al Musleh, on the sidelines of the Clinical Information Systems International Conference, the first event of its kind in the region held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha. “The new CIS will mean paperwork will be reduced in all areas, therefore enabling clinical and non-clinical staff to spend more time with patients. The immediate availability of evidence based and best practice clinical content will help in selecting the appropriate treatment and therefore leading to best outcomes,” he said. The Clinical Information Systems International Conference organised to create awareness among the programme planners, physicians, nurses and other IT industry experts and create an opportunity to meet and discuss about implementing the new system. Around 2,000 professionals attended the conference. The conference is planned to be held as an annual event. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/233819-health-records-to-go-electronic-by-next-year.html

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