Khoo Teck Puat Hospital wins top regional IT award

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital wins top regional IT award
PHOTO: Khoo Teck Puat Hospital wins top regional IT award

SINGAPORE - Khoo Teck Puat Hospital has been awarded the title of the FutureGov - Healthcare Organisation of the year for its use of information technology (IT) to deliver faster, safer and hassle-free health care to patients.

The 550-bed acute-care hospital has been working closely with the Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS) to design and implement its IT infrastructure before its opening last year, a local news channel reported.

At the core of its operations is the integrated Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, which combines all patient data on an electronic platform that is accessible online by staff.

Dr Goh E Shaun, Associate Consultant, A&E Care Centre, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, told reporters that information, such as lab test and radiological examination results, are all easily accessible through the system, which cuts down on the time and energy needed to hunt around for paper forms or X-ray films, which can be misplaced.

Staff are also spared the agony of deciphering doctors' handwriting, as orders for medication and tests can be input directly into the EMR system's Computerised Physician Order Entry module by the doctors' themselves.

In another example of the hospital's use of advanced technology, nurses say the new bed management system at its "Dream Ward" cuts down the time they need to take a patient's parameter, such as their blood pressure and temperature, from around 10 minutes to five minutes or even less.

If constant monitoring is required, the system is also capable of continuing to take the patient's parameters every hour.

Patients can also enjoy a first-class treatment environment, where they can shop online, Skype and control the lights and curtains while in the comfort of their beds through the use of a user-friendly LCD screen.

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