Why do things need to change?
The healthcare system faces significant challenges demanding a change in how services are managed and delivered. It is vital that Nova Scotians understand the reality of how our current systems stand in the way of delivering improved, efficient, and cost-effective healthcare. Although many Nova Scotians believe we already have fully functioning Electronic Heatlh Records (EHR) systems, technology has far outpaced our current state, leaving us with outdated systems that don’t properly support healthcare workers, or the people they care for.
The One Person One Record Clinical Information System (OPOR-CIS) enables the replacement of many of those disjointed systems and rationalize many of the hundreds of systems that have been implemented with a single all-encompassing mechanism that will support the best possible level of care.
What are the benefits?
OPOR will build a single repository of patient information where care providers can access the right information, for the right person, at the right time. OPOR will enable clinicians across the system to possess the information patients today assume they already have. Regardless of where care is given or received, records will be easily accessible.
OPOR will facilitate improved health outcomes, with decreased medication errors and related drug events through appropriate ordering. The need to repeat personal health information within a single visit or across visits will be eliminated. Improved access to services will mean hospital visits will decrease, stays in hospital will be shorter, readmission rates will drop as will hospital acquired infections.
Less Computer Time Means More Patient Time
In the fiscal year of 2021-2022, roughly 536,666 people visited emergency departments throughout Nova Scotia. The main strategy when patient information is not available is to call another facility which amounts to approximately 1500 hours, or 93,000 minutes, of wasted time per year in emergency departments alone. With the OPOR-CIS in place, more time will be spent directly on patient care.
OPOR can help physician recruitment
The ability to share patient data makes Nova Scotia an attractive career choice for a variety of healthcare service providers. According to current state rounding surveys conducted at 12 facilities involving more than 70 clinicians, 80% of physicians say they have problems with the health information infrastructure.
A paper-based environment isn’t attractive to new physicians, nor does it help keep doctors here.
A CIS eliminates paper scanning backlogs and the necessity to log in to multiple digital systems to perform daily tasks. That process tacks on up to an extra hour to a typical workday, reducing the number of patients that can be seen.
Improved data access not only supports better clinical care, but is instrumental in supporting research, innovation, practice audits, and quality improvement.
Technology improvements will decrease clinician burnout. Updated systems reduce risk, create less strain on resources, and result in high value environments.