DOCTORS and nurses across the Loddon and Mallee regions will be able to spend less time on paperwork, as the State Government moves to modernise medical records in the region.
The government last week announced more than $14 million was being invested to support health services upgrade to electronic medical records, or EMRs.
Loddon Mallee Health Network would expand its TrakCare medical record system to Swan Hill District Health, as well as hospitals in Mildura and Echuca, over the next four years.
SHDH chief executive Peter Abraham said the announcement came at a “fantastic time”.
“This announcement is as big of a project as building our emergency department. It takes just as much planning and preparation,” he said.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve put a big investment into a community health project, with a focus on patient records.
“The errors related to handwriting and the legibility of handwriting probably make up close to 80 per cent of the errors in a medical setting.
“If we don’t have to document things on paper, then we can’t lose them, we don’t write the wrong thing down.
“It has safeguards in it that says that you can’t give this medication because that person’s allergic to this and it just won’t let you do that under the system.”
Mr Abraham also said the change would make life easier for health-care professionals and helped efforts to attract new staff.
“Electronic medical records don’t necessarily improve the level of care you provide, that’s up to the people providing it,” he said.
“Being up-to-date and contemporary is really important for us to be able to attract and retain people.
“If we recruit doctors and nurses into Swan Hill and that come from bigger places like Melbourne or Bendigo, they’re used to working with EMRs.
“They aren’t going to be pleased if they come to work here and we welcome them to their first day with a pen and paper to write on.”
Moving to EMRs would also enable home-based and virtual care programs to be strengthened.
The funding was part of Victoria’s digital health roadmap, which aimed to improve the safety and efficiency of the state’s health-care system from 2021 to 2025.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the roadmap was integral to providing Victorians with modern health care.
“Delivering on Victoria’s digital health roadmap is critical to building a health system that is able to meet the challenges of the future and provide all Victorians with world-class, quality care no matter where they live,” she said.
“Electronic medical records are safer, more secure and significantly improve communication when providing care.”
