Clinical Information System For Hospitals

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

The purpose of this report was to examine the implementation, integration and managerial aspects on introducing DeLacy: A Clinical Information System for Hospitals. It further determines the elements and guidelines for success and failure of implementing Information system in the hospitals.

The major finding indicates the uses of clinical information system is important for hospitals and are possible to be implemented and integrated. It also finds the security risks of implementing information system.

1. Introduction

1.1 Authorization

This report was authorized by St. Vincent’s private Hospital in response to new digital innovation that can be incorporated in hospital. It further identifies the processes, cost, success and risks related for implementing the selected digital innovation.

1.2 Limitation

The purpose of this report is to identify the importance of information system for the St. Vincent’s private Hospital and verify the different aspects of implementing, integrating and managing those digital innovations in hospitals. The report is supported by literature gathered from the library databases, print collection and from some websites related to the topic.

1.3 Scope of Report

DeLacy: a clinical information system is still in process of making its mark in the hospitals. St. Vincent’s and Mater Hospital in North Sydney has implemented these new digital innovation while some of the hospitals are studying these new digital innovation and making plans to implement these innovations.

2. Justification, Integration and Management of Digital Innovation

As discussed in the first report, the need of digital innovation in hospitals suggested i.e. DeLacy: a clinical information system is basically due to the realisation of full potential of ICT to provide rapid and comprehensive access to information at the point of care. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to record, store, manage and access information within health care offers vast opportunities to reduce clinical errors, to support health care professionals, to increase the efficiency of care and to improve the quality of patient care.

http://www.emerging.com.au/ehealth/downloads/deLacy_case_study_revised_2011.pdf

2.1 DeLacy: A Clinical Information System for Hospitals

We discussed in the previous report that DeLacy is a web enabled clinical information system that can be accessed at the point of care. This system enables health professionals to capture a raft of clinical information and to access this information in an appropriate and timely manner.

According to J. Aguilera, "In my opinion the deLacy clinical information system leads the industry in care planning, risk assessment, monitoring and documenting our clinical services and this has played a big role in SVPH being a Magnet designated facility with exemplary practice noted during our ACHS accreditation and Magnet designation reviews. With computers directly outside the patient rooms our nurses are closer to their patients..if you tried to remove deLacy from this hospital, the nurses would be pretty upset."

According to S. Rubic, "We are very fond of deLacy. The hospital has a strategic imperative to be a leader in clinical information systems, as we believe in the benefits for patient care and for the business of running a hospital. That is what has driven us for over a decade."

2.2 Implementation of Digital Innovation

DeLacy has been successfully implemented and in use within St. Vincent’s Private for 18 years. Over the 18 years of using deLacy many issues and processes have emerged which must be carefully looked upon so as to bring in new elements and changes in the firm to successfully implement the new technologies.

3. Processes/Procedures for DeLacy

According to report created by CHIK Services Pty. Ltd (2011), adopting an information system in hospital is a new step. Some considerations and cases should be studied before implementing deLacy in the organization. The following flowchart provides an example of a journey of a patient through St. Vincent’s and how this is reflected in deLacy.

4. Implementing DeLacy

To successfully implement DeLacy in St. Vincent’s Private Hospital following benefits and success factors are seen:

Success factors

Development of the system from clinical perspective

Development of the system from an organisational perspective

System reliability

Benefits

User friendly and easy to learn

Ease of access

Comprehensive

Legibility

Communication

Benefits for patients

Rich Information source

Information Integrity & reliability

Assists with patient flow and efficient resource utilisation

Improved patient safety and quality of care

Complaints management/Legal matters

Business benefits

Web-enabled

Patient care guides

Reporting functionality

5. Challenges/Barriers

Getting doctors to use deLacy

Most doctors visiting medical officers, making it difficult to mandate their use of the system. This creates inefficiencies as paper records are still kept for those patients whose doctors don’t enter information into their deLacy patient record

Portability

DeLacy is accessible directly at the point of care. New advances in mobile technology such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Tablet PC’s will continue to be supported as a combination of technologies will provide most value.

6. Lessons Learned

The responses from the staff of St. Vincent’s Private Hospital were as follows:

Management commitment - is vital to ensure success.

Mandate use- makes use of the system mandatory for all staff and phase out the use of paper records.

Training and education – is vital and needs to be ongoing for all staff.

Technical support – Support on the wards is vital. Ensure the system is well supported by knowledgeable and friendly IT staff.

7. Future Directions

DeLcay is currently being implemented at St. Vincent’s Public Hospital and the Mater Hospital in North Sydney.

Currentlty under development is digital voice capture and transcription of progress notes. DeLacy will store the transcription as well as the digital voice file and enable voice activated input methods.

St. Vincent’s Hospital will be trialling mobile technologies to assess which combination of technologies provides value.

In the future patient multimedia centres will also provide deLacy functionality.

TECHNOLOGY

Product Name

Vendor

Technology Infrastructure

Interoperability

Operating System

Security

Business Continuity