[VIDEO] New clinical patient administration system launched

A new clinical patient administration system (CPAS) integrating the different levels of healthcare was launched this morning by Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia.

The system was devised by health ministry and Mater Dei Hospital employees in collaboration with different health givers led by IT consultant Mark Sammut.

The CPAS integrates the primary, secondary and tertiary health systems provided in both Malta and Gozo in one system, including hospitals, residential homes and healthcare centres.

"The CPAS is the gateway for a coordinated health system, the key for more accessibility, patient safety, accountability... a patient centric healthcare system," Farrugia said.

Describing the system as the backbone technology of the national health system, the minister said the giant leap from an old patient administration system - which expired in 2013 - to the new clinical system was made in a few months. The new system is "50 times bigger than the old one".

Work on the CPAS started in July and by mid-January it was built, tested, workers trained and implemented.

"I am very proud to say that everything was done inhouse, thanks to the abilities of a team that developed a system for the country's healthcare needs,"Farrugia said.

The CPAS is Windows-based, allowing doctors and nurses to insert patient data in the system, creating a patient tracking system.

According to MDH CEO Joe Caruana, the system will help doctors to take "quicker decisions" as it provides them with the patient's history in one click.

"MDH needed it and, in terms of IT programming, it has put us on the 21st Century platform."

The change from paper to electronic format provides hospital staff with quicker and easier access to data, saving time in the searching for and delivery of patient files.

The old patient files stored in Marsa are being scanned and inserted in the system as PDF files.

The implementation of the system was divided into three phases, with the first and second phase almost finalised. The CPAS allows healthcare professionals to update a patient's medical history, accessing previous data and incorporates medical tests. Clinical notes will also be included.

Once the rollout of the e-ID cards is completed, the system would enable the provision of a secure e-prescription service.

Mark Sammut said the CPAS automatically triggers an SMS or email alert to doctors or consultants when a patient's file has been updated. It also includes an outpatient specialised tracking.

A new feature which didn't exist in the old system is the introduction of analyses for frequent patients and length of stay warnings.

The third phase, dependent on other reforms within the healthcare provision system, includes medicinal stock control, the ability to carry e-prescription services based on entitlement cards - which will be incorporated in the new smart ID cards - a bed management module and a discharge system or letter notifying when a patients has undergone an operation.

The ministry is also envisaging a system whereby the triage system is carried out on the ambulance, while the patient is on his way to the emergency department. With the use of a tablet, paramedics would compile the information - generally relayed once the patient arrives at the A&E - beforehand.