The Health Ministry is advancing efforts to digitise its records with installation of an Electronic Medical Records system soon.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said the system which will create more efficiency in the sector, should be implemented by this time next year, beginning with hospitals.
“There are numerous advantages to going to an electronic system. One, we can be able to store large amounts of data, retrieve it, readily and have all the patients’ records in one place, but it’s also very convenient for both patient, doctors, medical staff and so forth,” Dr Anthony said.
A working group has been established within the ministry which has collaborated with the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, to design the electronic patient record system.
“What we envisage with such a system is that the patient when coming to the doctor, records will be available to that person, and if they go to the lab and they do a lab test, they don’t have to go back to the lab for the results. Those results would be integrated into their patient records. If they go do an x-ray or a CT scan, that imaging would also be integrated into the patient’s records, so when you go to visit your doctor all your information is available,” the health minister said.
This, he noted, would reduce waiting time, and save patients a lot of hassle.
Doctors will also be able to access patients’ records, quickly and when a diagnosis is made, a prescription for medication will go directly to the pharmacists to dispense medication to the patient.
This is just one of several measures the health ministry is taking to create a more efficient healthcare system in Guyana.