Sidra Medical and Research Centre will soon become the first hospital in Qatar, and one of very few in the Middle East, to have a fully integrated clinical information system based on a foundation of international best practices and regulatory compliance support.Sidra, which is tying up with the Cerner Millennium to build one of the most technologically advanced healthcare facilities in the Middle East, will be able to store and communicate patient information among caregivers in all venues, enable clinical decision support, provide the foundation for research initiatives and engage the patient consumers in their home. Cerner’s electronic health record (EHR) will be the foundation of the health technology implementation while the hospital will integrate 60 Cerner solutions, encompassing clinical, technical, administrative and research functions to support clinicians and hospital staff in providing world-class patient care and research. “Fully digital operations are a key component of our commitment to creating an ultra modern facility where clinicians are empowered to provide the highest possible quality of care,” Sidra executive project director Dan Bergin said. He explained that Cerner’s experience in the region and the quality of their solutions will enable Sidra Medical to provide a world class standard of patient care, as well as the highest standard of medical education and biomedical research.Cerner solutions automate processes in multiple departments, provide instant access to clinical information and integrate workflow with the patient’s EHR. The solutions digitise clinical communication, intensive care unit operations, clinician documentation, image management, pharmacy laboratory operations, medication administration processes, clinically-driven revenue cycle management, clinical research, capacity management, patient flow and surgery operations. Cerner solutions will also support health maintenance of patients in the patient home as Sidra patients will have access to a number of self-service capabilities, including a personal health record, secure messaging with their clinicians and condition management tools.Implementing Cerner solutions will benefit Sidra patients in a number of ways including: providing the highest standard of quality care; reducing the potential for transcription errors ; and improving access to information.By providing clinicians with access to medical best practices guidelines and ensuring that the right person has access to the right information at the right time, the Cerner system will help Sidra clinicians realise the hospital’s mission of addressing the growing need for more comprehensive patient-focused medical services for women and children in Qatar and throughout the region.“This is a remarkable opportunity for Cerner to work with Sidra Medical and Research Centre to develop the first fully digitised facility in Qatar,” Cerner Middle East, Africa and India vice president and managing director Greg White said adding: “Together, we will design an advanced health information system to enable Sidra to achieve its vision. We anticipate a long and mutually beneficial partnership with this flagship academic medical centre.”First announced in June 2004, Sidra represents the vision of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who are aiming to position Qatar as a leader in medical research, academic medical training, and health care in the Middle East. Sidra, the first academic medical centre in the region, is being built at Qatar Foundation’s 2,500-acre Education City campus. Initially, Sidra will have 400 beds available when it opens with built infrastructure to enable expansion to 550 beds in a subsequent phase.