B.C. NDP calls for external review of IHealth records system
From timescolonist.com
The NDP health critic is calling on the province for an external investigation of a new $174-million electronic health record for Vancouver Island that doctors say continues to be “fundamentally flawed and unsafe.”
Three NDP MLAs met with medical staff and stakeholders to discuss concerns about IHealth, a paperless health record system launched March 19 at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Dufferin Place residential care centre in Nanaimo and Oceanside Health Centre in Parksville.
The system is scheduled to roll out to Victoria hospitals next year.
“Frankly, I am more concerned now than ever,” said NDP health critic Judy Darcy.
The NDP is calling on the B.C. Health Minister to order an immediate independent review of the software.
Island Health has a 10-year, $50-million deal with software developer Cerner Corp. of Kansas City, Missouri, for an electronic health record software system. Island Health will spend an additional $124 million for hardware and training.
Nine weeks after the debut of the electronic health record in Nanaimo, physicians in the hospital’s intensive-care and emergency departments reverted to pen and paper orders. More departments have asked to follow suit.
Physicians claim the system software is cancelling, overriding, changing or doubling up some drug orders and critical physician instructions.
Dr. David Forrest, president of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Medical Staff Association, which represents about 250 physicians, said the health authority continues to apply “patches and Band-Aids” to an unsafe system.
Despite efforts by Island Health, the efficiency and usability of the system have not improved “and as a consequence patient access to care is impaired,” said Forrest, an infectious disease specialist.
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