Healthcare providers in all Island hospitals are now using PEI's new Clinical Information System (CIS) to capture and access patient information electronically.
The new system is in operation at Registration, Lab, and Pharmacy departments in all hospitals and is also being used by nursing staff to electronically record patient vitals, such as blood pressure and temperature. More features of the CIS, including physician orders, nursing documentation, and functionality for Surgery and Emergency departments, will be introduced later this year and in the spring of 2009.
“Using the new Clinical Information System, healthcare providers across the province are accessing patient medical records electronically in a secure manner,” said Doug Currie, Minister of Health. “Lab tests and diagnostic imaging results, medication histories, and patient vitals can be accessed on the system by authorized healthcare providers to support high quality patient care.”
The implementation of the Clinical Information System in all Island hospitals represents a significant step toward the development of an Electronic Health Record for the province. “I am pleased that our province is taking this important action in modernizing our healthcare system. I want to commend the staff who worked so diligently to bring this system online,” said Premier Ghiz. “I am confident that the implementation of CIS will ultimately improve the delivery of healthcare services to all Islanders.”
The CIS will bring many benefits to patient care on PEI, including a reduced risk of drug reactions and other adverse events. The ability to electronically access hospital records will eventually eliminate the need to copy and transfer paper versions of medical records, which will reduce the risk of error and improve the safety and security of patient information.
Implementing a province-wide Clinical Information System is a very complex and challenging project that requires support from many stakeholder groups. Throughout the first phase of the project, and particularly during the first few weeks of operation, healthcare providers and technical staff showed great teamwork as they came together to address the issues associated with the transition to the new technology. Although issues remain to be resolved, progress continues, including planning for future project phases using lessons learned and a firmly established foundation for teamwork.
“The dedication of our staff from the Department of Health and Provincial Treasury who were responsible for setting up the CIS was nothing short of impressive,” said Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan. “They worked very hard to ensure the launch of this system was a success. This was truly an example of cooperation and teamwork at its finest.”
The CIS project is funded by the provincial government, Canada Health Infoway and seven Island hospital foundations: Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Prince County Hospital Foundation, Stewart Memorial Hospital Foundation, Eastern Kings Health Foundation Inc., Kings County Memorial Hospital Foundation, O’Leary Community Health Foundation and Western Hospital Foundation.
“The province-wide launch of a Clinical Information System in all PEI hospitals is a tremendous achievement that showcases the province’s leadership in electronic health record development and adoption,” said Richard Alvarez, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway. “PEI’s best practices and successes will be shared with other provinces and territories, improving health care for Canadians from coast-to-coast.”
Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the Federal government. Infoway jointly invests with every province and territory to accelerate the development and adoption of electronic health record projects in Canada. Fully respecting patient confidentiality, these secure systems will provide clinicians and patients with the information they need to better support safe care decisions and manage their own health. Accessing this vital information quickly will help foster a more modern and sustainable health care system for all Canadians.