The government will look into starting an electronic patient record system next year, Carlos Leong Kei Hong, who heads the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Organisation and IT Department, said Thursday.
Leong made the remark on the sidelines of the launch ceremony of Kiang Wu Hospital’s new digital system.
Leong said that bidding for the system was in its final stages. He said the bureau expected to be able to sign an agreement with the successful bidder this year so that it could implement the system next year.
The bureau was also in talks with local hospitals to come up with a unified format for the records, Leong said, adding that the bureau may consider looking at the systems in other regions and countries.
Leong said the electronic patient record system would allow the city’s three hospitals and all public health centres to share patients’ records. He pointed out that due to concerns over privacy, not every department’s records would be shared without the patients’ consent, such as psychiatric patients.
According to Leong, the first stage of the system will allow only doctors to look at the shared patients’ records, with the next stage allowing patients to access their own records via the Internet.
Kiang Wu Hospital will also be updating its digital system. Chan Tai Ip, deputy director of the private hospital, said that the system would fully digitalise the hospital’s operation. He said the hospital’s current system was only sufficient for daily operations, while the new system would allow a larger amount of data to be stored and shared with patients. Chan said the hospital should have it up and running by the end of next year.
Chan also said the hospital would look into allowing patients to view their hospital records digitally using apps in the future. (macaunews/macaupost)
