Print PageBeaumont’s Innovative Web-based Electronic Patient Record System Paves the Way for Epilepsy Patients
Thursday June 21, 2012
New system brings integration to healthcare delivery chronic disease management.
Beaumont Hospital’s Epilepsy Research Department was today awarded An Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Award for its development of an innovative web-based Electronic Patient Record (EPR) that is driving integration and transforming the way healthcare is delivered to patients suffering with epilepsy in Ireland. The new web-based EPR, which has been adopted by the HSE to support the National Epilepsy Programme, makes patient information available to all healthcare providers regardless of geographical location, which allows for an integrated service that is more responsive to the needs of epilepsy patients. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that affects up to 37,000 people in Ireland.
The research project entitled, Information When and Where Needed for Safe and Effective Patient Care, looks at aligning people, processes and technology in order to facilitate an integrated EPR. The new EPR system exploits Information Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance quality and safety of chronic disease management while being cost efficient. The project was funded by the Health Research Board and was carried out over five years from 2005 -2010.
Mary Fitzsimons, Project coordinator in Beaumont’s Epilepsy Research Department today said “We are delighted to be awarded Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Award. The web-based electronic patient record, that has been designed, developed and implemented as part of this project, is a unique application. There is no other comparable epilepsy EPR in the world, this new system is leading the way forward in terms of providing effective management for chronic diseases. The benefits of the new system not only see improvements of healthcare delivery at patient level, but will also play a role in monitoring and evaluation of the performance of Epilepsy services.
“The web based EPR can capture and store information on individual patients that allows for optimal patient care and this information can be accessed by multiple health care providers simultaneously.”
Liam Duffy, CEO Beaumont Hospital also commented “The outcome of the research is extremely positive. This system is now in daily use with over 2,100 individuals with epilepsy on the system with approximately 60 clinical users. By understanding the barriers and facilitators of patient care and by using information technology in healthcare, this demonstrates a business solution to chronic disease management. This not only results in an integrated approach to epilepsy care in Ireland, but an approach that is cost efficient.”
Duffy also said “With funding from the Health Research Board, Beaumont’s Epilepsy Research Department has been able to create this web based electronic patient record that will contribute to effective, safe patient care for those suffering with the disease.”
Beaumont Hospital collaborated with; Trinity College Dublin (Centre for Health Informatics and Dept. of Health Policy and Management), Health Research Board, Beaumont Hospital IT Department, The Irish College of General Practitioners and The Irish Epilepsy Association.