All 43 public hospitals under the Hong Kong Hospital Authority have been validated for Phase 7 of HIMSS Model for the implementation of electronic medical records.
EMRAM is a globally validated model that measures an organization’s maturity in using EMR technology.
WHY IT MATTERS
After achieving phase 6 of the EMRAM, HA was keen to be validated for the highest EMRAM phase, in line with its smart hospital transformation strategy.
“HA already had experience in achieving Phase 6 validation, but Phase 7 was a big step forward in terms of requirements and control,” admitted Dr Ngai Tseung Cheung, Head of Information Technology and Health Informatics at HA.
In collaboration with the HIMSS team, HA developed a comprehensive project plan for this undertaking.
“The preparation phase was intensive, with hundreds of meetings and regular check-ins with HIMSS. This allowed us to refine our approach and ensure we met all the necessary criteria,” said Dr. Cheung.
The plan, HA shared, included mobilizing clinical and business leaders across its hospitals, which was critical to ensuring alignment of all key stakeholders. As advised by HIMSS, it also had to scale back some initiatives, such as AI projects, so it could focus on meeting specific requirements for Stage 7 validation.
One of the most important projects was the upgrade of the Clinical Management System (CMS), which has been in use since 1994. The system is used by over 70,000 employees and processes approximately 43 million transactions daily.
HA’s fourth-generation CMS, integrated into all 43 public hospitals, 74 general outpatient clinics and 49 specialist clinics, provides paperless workflows, clinical procedure support and closed clinical management.
It consists of several clinical modules, including:
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IPMOEa closed computer system for prescribing, dispensing and administering medicines to hospitalized patients;
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the Result screening app that facilitates the screening and follow-up of research reports;
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e-Vitalthat supports accurate data collection;
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the digital assistant e-Write for automating the clinical workflow; and
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the Smart ASP which uses data analytics to monitor prescriptions and evaluate antibiotic use, etc.
The mobile patient app HA Go is another important project. The smartphone app integrates various health services, including appointment scheduling, medication management and teleconsultations.
During the EMRAM assessment, HIMSS validators praised HA for actively promoting patient adoption of this app. HA Go has more than five million registered users since its introduction. launch in 2019.
Following the evaluation, HA plans to further enhance the clinical capabilities of its CMS and expand the features of the HA Go app.
“Efforts will focus on developing and supporting smart hospital initiatives, improving patient and staff experiences through more efficient and effective workflows, and leveraging automation and integration technologies for clinical care, hospital support and management processes,” said Dr. Cheung.
Over the past two years, HA has deployed dozens of smart hospital solutions across its network. These include a product suite consisting of smart bedside panels, electronic vital registration, smart kiosks and integration with HA Go, which has helped reduce waiting times and enabled smoother hospital workflows. AI and data analytics have also been implemented to improve the accuracy and safety of disease diagnosis, including AI-assisted radiology diagnostics and clinical prediction.
THE BIGGER TREND
Earlier this year, Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi in Thailand was also validated for Stage 7 of the HIMSS EMRAM. In addition, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in South Korea and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou in Taiwan were revalidated for this stage in the past 12 months.
ON THE RECORD
“HA’s successful EMRAM validation is a significant milestone that underscores the remarkable progress made in our digital transformation over the past decades. Achieving the Stage 7 EMRAM recognition from HIMSS validates HA’s continued efforts to prioritize patient-centered care and operational efficiency at the highest levels. This milestone reflects the unwavering support and collaboration of all HA healthcare professionals and staff, who have worked tirelessly to drive excellence and maintain the highest standards in healthcare IT to meet the unique needs of the people of Hong Kong,” said Dr. Cheung.