When government introduced their e-health policy in 2012 we started to develop an EHR system for primary healthcare and hospitals that is interoperable. We are currently testing this system in a NHI pilot site in the NW Province. We have managed to create a system that combines all the priority areas when it comes to service delivery. Currently facilities are using three separate systems for reporting on different priority areas, one for TB, HIV/AIDS and one to report on the day-to-day operations of the facility. With the introduction of one patient record there is no need for three systems.
Just as the revolution in information technology has already changed the way in which organizations like banks, supermarkets, and even some government services understand the people they serve, the revolution in health information technology (health IT) will change the way we address the health of our communities and our nation. Karabo IT can help:
- Identify safety problems. Providers in some areas can use EHR systems to quickly find and notify patients who may be at risk for problems related to unsafe drugs or medical devices.
- Detect epidemics. The medical community can use EHRs to find unexpected increases in diseases within a community, enabling health officials to take action sooner to protect the public. Patterns of prescribing in pharmacy records could even help detect bioterrorism attacks on food systems or water supplies.
- Improve overall health care. With access to treatment and outcome data for thousands or millions of patients, researchers can improve care by exploring questions such as which treatments are most effective. Most researchers, public health departments, and others who might have access to health IT data for these purposes are bound by governmental law to maintain individual patient privacy, and in most cases, will not be accessing information that is identifiable.
Our world has been radically transformed by digital technology – smart phones, tablets, and web-enabled devices have transformed our daily lives and the way we communicate. Medicine is an information-rich enterprise. A greater and more seamless flow of information within a digital health care infrastructure, created by electronic health records (EHRs), encompasses and leverages digital progress and can transform the way care is delivered and compensated. With EHRs, information is available whenever and wherever it is needed.
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