CIS programme wins award at HMC event

The Clinical Information Systems (CIS) transformation programme that has implemented a single electronic medical record for each patient, has been recognised with the prestigious Managing Director’s Award at Hamad Medical Corporation’s ( HMC) annual Stars of Excellence Awards.
The Clinical Information System (CIS) programme has seen millions of paper-based patient records converted into standardised electronic records.
More than 24,000 members of HMC’s clinical and non-clinical workforce were trained to use the system. Working alongside this process was patient registration, creating new and updated records for each and every patient of HMC’s network of hospitals and services.
“This programme touches not only a majority of our staff every day, but also has a real and positive impact on the lives of our patients,” said HE the Minister of Public Health and Managing Director of HMC Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, while presenting the award to the team responsible for the transformation at an event last month.
“We are very proud of the fact that Qatar is the second and largest country in the world to have a single, integrated electronic health record for every patient. Our staff have worked hard to implement this programme so that we can respond to changes in healthcare technology and most importantly, patients’ needs and expectations,” added Dr al-Kuwari.
Each year, the Stars of Excellence Awards winners are chosen based on their performance against key criteria such as the application of international best practice, evidence of direct improvements resulting from the project, and how the project has impacted patient care and the overall patient experience.
Dr Wasmiya Dalham, executive director, Nursing Informatics at HMC said the CIS programme has already resulted in real improvements to patient care, including a reduction in medication errors and decreases in readmission rates.
“Now that the CIS is integrated into our clinical processes, patients are starting to see improvements in their experience within our hospitals,” she said. “For example, if during a consultation a physician prescribes medication, this is sent electronically to the pharmacy for the patient to collect. At the same time, follow-up outpatient clinic appointments can also be scheduled,” she added.