City hospitals to unify patient record-keeping

       By the end of this year, patients who already have records with one hospital can be admitted to other hospitals in the 17-hospital Electronic Medical Record (EMR) network without having to re-register, offering customers a hasslefree registration process, according to Dr Chatree Duangnet, Chief Executive Officer of Bangkok Hospital Medical Centre.
       Based at Bangkok Hospital, the new single patient EMR systemwill manage and interconnect the database to other hospitals in the network, offering patients a one-stop registration service,along with quicker and more convenient services.
       Veerasak Kritsanapraphan, the Bangkok Hospital Group's Chief Information Executive, added that the IT development projects with IBM solutions on the UNIX system greatly benefit both patients and doctors.
       "Imagine Bangkok Hospital customers who may travel to Phuket but unfortunately have an accident. They can be admitted to Bangkok Hospital Phuket without wasting time going through the registration process while the doctors can instantly track a patient's medical history from the system."
       In the next phase, the system will add more services by providing 'whatif' analysis setting parameters for each patient and offering suggestions for doctors to make decisions faster.
       Dr Chatree added that in terms of security, the system has to verify that only authorised persons can gain access to patients' data and meet security at international standard.
       "If you are one of our customers,while laying down in the roomwatching a program and then doctor comes, it is possible for the doctor to retrieve the patient's record to show up on the TV and can discuss the progress with the patient.
       "In the long term, the hospital may open connections to other public hospitals. However, such a system has the challenge of standardising data by creating a unique patient ID number no matter which hospital they are at. In order to map medical records between hospitals it is easiest to integrate in our group first," Dr Chatree said.
       Attracting more medical tourists
       According to Veerasak, the single patient EMR also helps hospitals in the Bangkok Hospital Group to attract more overseas patients through hospital partner alliances in Europe and the Middle East when patients are referred here.
       The foreign hospitals can request to monitor and update the status of their patients via the online system.
       In line with the improved efficiency in patient records and tracking, the Bangkok Hospital Group will also upgrade its financial and business management system with IBM Cognos solution, to connect hospital data and analyse statistics to help executives make precise investment decisions.
       In the healthcare business, there are many unexpected factors that may affect its business. This solution helps to prepare business plans with 'what-if' modelling capabilities such as scenarios in closed airports or in pandemic situations.
       "With these two important projects we are able to offer an effective treatment analysis faster than before, and with more convenient services. The systematic and integrated data system will be of great benefit for medical research,paving the way for the Bangkok Hospital Group to set a new standard of Smarter Healthcare in Thailand."
       Build IT R&D in healthcare
       Dr Chatree added that even during the economic downturn, the hospital still continued investing in IT and established a new IT company called Greenline Synergy to centralise all IT teams in each hospital under one company.
       Each company has to allocate a minimum budget of 1.5 percent from its revenue worth 20 billion baht to IT.
       "We sees IT like oxygen for our business to create with advanced technology not only for treatment but also for infrastructure no matter wireless or mobile computing and caring service," Dr Chatree said.
       Acting as general manager for Greenline, Veerasak said that the new company will recruit more staff this year and there are also plans to increase capital register from 30 million baht to give stronger bargaining when negotiating with vendors.
       Moreover, the company has allocated a number of staff in research and development for Radio Frequency Identification or RFID to enhance patients'safety and potential to use in babymother first phase.
       "There are a lot of technological issues to consider especially when it operates it should not have any affect or interfere with medical equipment. If the company is successful it will roll out through the entire group. Within the next couple of years, the company plans to sell the solution to other hospitals outside the Bangkok Hospital Group.
       "When centralising IT, we experience a lot of savings starting in standardising technology and acquiring hardware and software. With the power of bargaining,it can reduce rental PC costs from 1,500 baht per unit to 500 baht. While we can replicate the solution to roll-out in the network before selling to make more money a as profitable business,"Veerasak said.