NSW special commissioner Peter Garling has prescribed an aggressive $704 million investment strategy to cure NSW Health's sick information technology systems, in a landmark review published late yesterday.
Whilst much of the work undertaken in NSW public hospitals is "high tech", its record-keeping system is a relic of the pre-computer age.
Peter Garling
"What currently exists is a largely paper-based system with significant variation from clinician to clinician, ward to ward and hospital to hospital," Garling said in his comprehensive three-volume report on NSW's health system released yesterday.
"Whilst much of the work undertaken in NSW public hospitals is "high tech", its record-keeping system is a relic of the pre-computer age," he said. NSW Health's IT operations are in general led by departmental chief information officer Mike Rillstone, although each area health service also has its own CIO.
The commissioner has recommended a "one-off injection" of $704 million to remedy a system that had been bogged down not just by paper, inconsistent documentation and illegible handwriting, but also substandard hardware, incompatible software and inadequate broadband connectivity.
"In my view, insufficient funds are allocated to information technology to get it up to the standard needed in an acceptable timeframe," Garling said.
"Far more aggressive targets are necessary and must be set than those currently in place," he said.
The proposed four-year investment strategy, on top of the $315.5 million already planned, which he hopes will be rolled out by 2016, includes amongst other things an additional $144 million for a statewide rollout of an e-health record system; $155 million to boost network connectivity; $85 million on an automated rostering system; and $112 million on a medication management system.
Garling highlighted the cost of poor technology to patients' health. Following the analysis of one patient's brain injury, it was found that staff failed to monitor the patient's sodium levels. Garling said this was likely avoidable if the hospital had consistent documentation practices.
"The entry of the sodium results in the notes was not immediately obvious," Garling noted.
Dr McGlynn, who was interviewed by Garling for the inquiry, had said that the most commonly reported incidents at his hospital were prescription mistakes, because staff often failed to relate the patient's weight and age to the dosage.
Peter Garling
NSW Health's configuration of the CERNER electronic medical record system, currently being implemented, also came under fire. NSW Health said it could not afford to include a "to do" list within the system and said that automated warnings to flag a patient's changed status during treatment wasn't necessary.
"In my view, medical alerts can play an important role in ensuring that optimal patient care is delivered," Garling said, however added that they should not be overused.
The National E-Health Transition Authority's (NEHTA) submission to the inquiry for clinicians highlighted that paper-based clinical reporting systems were not suited to current acute health care procedures, which often required a patient to move between several specialist facilities for treatment. NEHTA is the nation's peak e-health body.
Echoing a view by some clinicians, Garling brushed aside privacy concerns associated with implementing a state-wide electronic record system and has recommended one that can be "readily accessed by all health professionals". He noted that banks had overcome privacy obstacles similar to those faced in health care.
"Many privacy concerns are raised in the health sector which prove, on closer examination, to be based on unnecessary fears. Unwarranted privacy concerns may become an obstacle to much-needed reform," he said.
We've see it all before, heard it too. Accenture tried it...so did many others. But until we have a BB network of in excess of 100mbps, its not going to happen. Heck they can't even implement one in one hospital! $700m!! not a chance. That sort of money buys lots of nurses and doctors at better pay rates on more reasonable shifts. Which is the real issue.