A state-of-the-art Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) was required for Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute’s (PKLI), Hepatitis Prevention and Treatment Centre (HPTC). Stakeholders in the project believed that electronic medical records (EMR) were necessary for professional patient care. A heavily-customised EMR/HIMS was provided to PKLI–HPTC to cover the needs of this specialty clinic. Areas covered included patient registration, financial assessment, billing of consultation and diagnostic services, nursing, medical records, e-prescriptions, investigations orders, diagnostic machinery integration, templates for investigation reports, pharmacy automation, inventory control, an appointment mechanism, waste management, accounts, human resources and payroll. Since its inauguration at PKLI–HPTC in March 2017, the system has recorded 11,573 consultations with 4,620 patients. A complete electronic medical record of each patient is maintained which helps doctors provide the best possible treatment.
A complete inventory records of medicines and dispensation details of each medicine is maintained in the system to avoid stock-outs and pilferage. Overall, the system covers all aspects of clinical operations and is promoting an efficient and paperless environment. The patient data will, in due course, be mined for research and policy formulation purposes. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) has approved plans for implementation of the HIMS solution at 33 district and tehsil headquarters hospitals in 2018. The PITB has signed an agreement with the management of Indus Hospital to incorporate best industry practices at DHQ and THQ hospitals of the Punjab. The PITB will work closely with the P&SHD to roll out a software solution that has been modified to mimic Indus Hospital processes. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2018.
