Shared Clinical Technology

22/07/2010 | Shared Clinical Technology

A shared clinical information system for the management and audit of existing colposcopy services for women using the Regional Women’s Health Service of Whanganui and MidCentral District Health Boards has been implemented.

The system, which has been set up under the umbrella of the centralAlliance collaboration agreement between the boards, provides the specialist doctor undertaking the examination easy access to previous examination results to monitor potential changes in the patient’s condition.

It also ensures patients are recalled for future examinations in a timely manner, and provides for statistical data to be provided for local audit and national monitoring of examinations for cervical cancers.

Sharing the same system (but allowing each DHB to access their own specific data) has been a successful strategy for the two DHBs in reducing technology costs in non clinical support areas. This is the first implementation of a shared clinical system that achieves the same technology benefits and moves the two DHBs toward common clinical quality standards.

Dr Digby Ngan Kee, Clinical Director for Women’s Health services across the two DHBs said: “We are already developing common clinical policies and guidelines for Women’s Health Services across the two DHBs, so it is exciting to now see some of the underlying systems coming together that allow consistent management and monitoring of our clinical standards and in the long term support our teams working across the two DHB areas.”

The shared colposcopy database (supplied by New Zealand company Solutions Plus), has completed technical testing, is in use in Palmerston North and training is scheduled soon for Whanganui staff.

Contacts:

Whanganui District Health Board Communications and Media Advisor Jo Priestley telephone (06) 348-1312; or MidCentral District Health Board Communications spokesperson Dennis Geddis (06) 350-8900.