Date: 21/08/2006
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Peters: Launch of Electronic Patient Records Web
Speech by the Premier of Northern Cape, Dipuo Peters, at the launch of the Electronic Patient Records web, Kimberley
Programme Director
MEC
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
There is an ever-increasing need for all healthcare providers to have access to accurate and relevant clinical information about the patients that they are treating, as well as better administrative control within the healthcare environment.
Ladies and gentlemen, this Electronic Patient Records (EPR) web makes this possible by acting as an information hub thus making the information available with the necessary privacy and confidentiality maintained, in order for it to be beneficial for both the healthcare providers and patients alike.
I have also been given an assurance by the Department of Health that the information will be treated as confidential and all security measures will be implemented to ensure the patient’s privacy. You may as a patient elect to have the details of any encounter marked confidential. A confidential encounter will not be shown unless a patient expressly grants permission.
One of the measures is the use of fingerprint biometric identification both to validate authorised users as well as to positively identify patients. The patient’s fingerprints also provide consent for access to the health records.
This equipment will assist our health professionals to better interact with patients. There is a great need for doctors to provide support to emergency care practitioners while the patient is being transported, and monitor the health status of a patient and not wait for the arrival.
They would be able to intervene persistently and assist where necessary to ensure better management and delivery of quality health services.
This equipment will assist us immensely in tackling some of the challenges facing us as we improve the functioning of our health system and ensure better patient outcomes, and easier disease management.
One of the great improvements in practice that the EPR enables is the ability to manage an illness in a proactive, organised manner. Amongst other advantages is that when the patient attends a different clinic, or is referred from the clinic to a hospital, the information concerning their clinic visits is available to the hospital. This would therefore mean that the hospital would already be aware of the patient’s condition.
Patients would therefore no longer be forced to remember dates, diagnoses, what medicine was prescribed and can now rely on receiving treatment based upon accurate information available to their practitioner.
Primary health facilities will have an accurate picture of the treatment received by their patients after referrals, most important of which are the medicines that they are taking.
Ladies and gentlemen, this system will help doctors to keep track of a patient’s medical condition, and use that information to manage the patient proactively. The information cannot be altered and can be used by nurses, medical assistants and administrative staff with minimal training.
This tool can be used for preventive services such as Pap smears, mammograms or colon cancer screening.
Crucial information is often lacking. The aim is to allow the physician to have in hand at that time of contact, information known about the patient’s lab results, imaging reports, correspondence from other consultants, medication lists and refill histories.
Patients spend less time waiting as we spend less time looking for information missing in their files.
Indeed this Electronic Patient Records allows us to begin a new era in the clinical practice. We should however be mindful of the fact that, those who know how to use these tools will do a better job. Therefore our health professionals should receive the necessary training. These computers do not care for patients, but our doctors and nurses do.
This device will allow our physicians to focus their attention on clinical decision making rather than paper chasing and providing quality healthcare to their patients.
Ladies and gentlemen, due to the changing healthcare environment, the Electronic Patient Records are uniquely positioned to support the efficient integration of healthcare services in our province.
This brings great relief to men and women who have to travel long distances to access healthcare at the Kimberley Hospital Complex.
As government we have a responsibility to provide excellent healthcare to our all our people and ensure that we have a healthy, vibrant and prosperous nation that can contribute positively to the economic growth and development of this province.
We are marching forward despite a number of challenges we face in order to reach out to our people in all respects.
In fact all sectors of our society in conjunction with the business community need to put their shoulders to the wheel to improve the social welfare of our communities and ensure a sustainable future for us all.
This is an indication that we believe in our vision of service delivery and most of all this is indeed an indication that we embrace our challenges whole-heartedly.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to take this opportunity and thank all of you who continue to support us as government in our initiatives to continue fulfilling the promises we made to our people by bringing services closer to our people.
I cannot finish this address without acknowledging the dedication and hard work of our health professionals who are making a meaningful contribution in the service delivery plans.
We appeal to you to continue to ensure that our people are treated with dignity and are not far enough to get professional healthcare.
We should always be mindful that the electronic patient records is intended to save lives through the skills of professionals working in conjunction with the emergency care practitioners when distance, location, or road conditions could delay transport or endanger a patient’s condition.
With this system in place the future of our people and indeed the future of our province are bright. Government’s service delivery mandate requires well established resources which will translate into meaningful changes in the lives of all our people.
Ladies and gentlemen, this service puts time on the patient’s side.
Let us together continue to do what we have to do for the sake of our people and our country.
I thank you
Issued by: Northern Cape Provincial Government
21 August 2006
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Peters: Launch of Electronic Patient Records Web
Speech by the Premier of Northern Cape, Dipuo Peters, at the launch of the Electronic Patient Records web, Kimberley
Programme Director
MEC
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
There is an ever-increasing need for all healthcare providers to have access to accurate and relevant clinical information about the patients that they are treating, as well as better administrative control within the healthcare environment.
Ladies and gentlemen, this Electronic Patient Records (EPR) web makes this possible by acting as an information hub thus making the information available with the necessary privacy and confidentiality maintained, in order for it to be beneficial for both the healthcare providers and patients alike.
I have also been given an assurance by the Department of Health that the information will be treated as confidential and all security measures will be implemented to ensure the patient’s privacy. You may as a patient elect to have the details of any encounter marked confidential. A confidential encounter will not be shown unless a patient expressly grants permission.
One of the measures is the use of fingerprint biometric identification both to validate authorised users as well as to positively identify patients. The patient’s fingerprints also provide consent for access to the health records.
This equipment will assist our health professionals to better interact with patients. There is a great need for doctors to provide support to emergency care practitioners while the patient is being transported, and monitor the health status of a patient and not wait for the arrival.
They would be able to intervene persistently and assist where necessary to ensure better management and delivery of quality health services.
This equipment will assist us immensely in tackling some of the challenges facing us as we improve the functioning of our health system and ensure better patient outcomes, and easier disease management.
One of the great improvements in practice that the EPR enables is the ability to manage an illness in a proactive, organised manner. Amongst other advantages is that when the patient attends a different clinic, or is referred from the clinic to a hospital, the information concerning their clinic visits is available to the hospital. This would therefore mean that the hospital would already be aware of the patient’s condition.
Patients would therefore no longer be forced to remember dates, diagnoses, what medicine was prescribed and can now rely on receiving treatment based upon accurate information available to their practitioner.
Primary health facilities will have an accurate picture of the treatment received by their patients after referrals, most important of which are the medicines that they are taking.
Ladies and gentlemen, this system will help doctors to keep track of a patient’s medical condition, and use that information to manage the patient proactively. The information cannot be altered and can be used by nurses, medical assistants and administrative staff with minimal training.
This tool can be used for preventive services such as Pap smears, mammograms or colon cancer screening.
Crucial information is often lacking. The aim is to allow the physician to have in hand at that time of contact, information known about the patient’s lab results, imaging reports, correspondence from other consultants, medication lists and refill histories.
Patients spend less time waiting as we spend less time looking for information missing in their files.
Indeed this Electronic Patient Records allows us to begin a new era in the clinical practice. We should however be mindful of the fact that, those who know how to use these tools will do a better job. Therefore our health professionals should receive the necessary training. These computers do not care for patients, but our doctors and nurses do.
This device will allow our physicians to focus their attention on clinical decision making rather than paper chasing and providing quality healthcare to their patients.
Ladies and gentlemen, due to the changing healthcare environment, the Electronic Patient Records are uniquely positioned to support the efficient integration of healthcare services in our province.
This brings great relief to men and women who have to travel long distances to access healthcare at the Kimberley Hospital Complex.
As government we have a responsibility to provide excellent healthcare to our all our people and ensure that we have a healthy, vibrant and prosperous nation that can contribute positively to the economic growth and development of this province.
We are marching forward despite a number of challenges we face in order to reach out to our people in all respects.
In fact all sectors of our society in conjunction with the business community need to put their shoulders to the wheel to improve the social welfare of our communities and ensure a sustainable future for us all.
This is an indication that we believe in our vision of service delivery and most of all this is indeed an indication that we embrace our challenges whole-heartedly.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to take this opportunity and thank all of you who continue to support us as government in our initiatives to continue fulfilling the promises we made to our people by bringing services closer to our people.
I cannot finish this address without acknowledging the dedication and hard work of our health professionals who are making a meaningful contribution in the service delivery plans.
We appeal to you to continue to ensure that our people are treated with dignity and are not far enough to get professional healthcare.
We should always be mindful that the electronic patient records is intended to save lives through the skills of professionals working in conjunction with the emergency care practitioners when distance, location, or road conditions could delay transport or endanger a patient’s condition.
With this system in place the future of our people and indeed the future of our province are bright. Government’s service delivery mandate requires well established resources which will translate into meaningful changes in the lives of all our people.
Ladies and gentlemen, this service puts time on the patient’s side.
Let us together continue to do what we have to do for the sake of our people and our country.
I thank you
Issued by: Northern Cape Provincial Government
21 August 2006
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