MediRecords’ cloud-based link between the hospital admissions process and a community-based EHR is a first for Australia.
MediRecords has formally launched its small hospital in-patient care admissions module, a cloud solution which will follow a patient longitudinally from a community setting via its primary care EHR, into a hospital from pre-admission all the way through to discharge, all while maintaining one connected record.
The new functionality will allow multi-disciplinary teams to use one software system with a single patient record at the core to manage a patient in and out of hospital from a community setting.
An example could be rural towns where GPs also do ward rounds in the local urgent care centre and can assign tasks to and communicate with other team members.
The system has already been deployed successfully in 21 clinics with WA-based Homeless Healthcare, allowing that group to follow its patients from its community mobile clinics into a hospital set-up and back out into the community within the one system.
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Business development manager at MediRecords Tim Pegler told HSD that the immediate value of the module would be for services looking to deliver care between a hospital environment and community far more effectively by reducing avoidable admissions supporting emergency departments remotely.
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The module is designed for low-acuity care rather than surgical hospitals but according to Pegler the need for a “light” contiguous EMR that handles admissions is widespread and includes potential applications in urgent care centres, rural and remote hospitals, chemotherapy, dialysis and IV treatment clinics, day procedure groups, palliative care, private specialists, sleep clinics, virtual care and Hospital in the Home.
The module functionality includes an ability to organise and manage a facility’s wards, rooms, and beds while efficiently tracking capacity and resource allocation.
“It is designed specifically to enhance patient safety, streamline workflows, and build a clear view of emergency, isolation, custodial, and other wards,” said Mr Pegler.
Much of the core functionality of the new module has been built as a part of a much larger contract MediRecords has with the Australian Defence Force, which had a requirement to manage inpatient beds as well care for personnel within the community.
According to Mr Pegler case management and group appointments are in development now and will soon be added to the functionality of the module.
