On the one hand, one of the leading companies in the Brazilian market and on the other, a company that has just come to Brazil. What do they have in common? The desire to popularize the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) nationally.

Brazil is seen by domestic and foreign companies as a country with many opportunities, when it comes the EMRs. The figures confirm the demand, since in this country only 12% of public and private institutions have adopted the technology, while in the United States, with government encouragement, this figure reaches 80%.

“In the private sector, we have evolved significantly over the past five years. Institutions see the profits that have come from the adoption of EMR, as it offers more agile and safer provision of services to patients. It is also important to highlight the role of the healthcare professionals says the president of MV, Paul Magnus, who has been present in the market for 28 years.

The executive claims that the increase in the adoption of EMR is directly linked to the public policy. In order to stimulate popularization in all scenarios, Magnus argues it is essential to target government projects for the implementation of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), and digitising of the public sector and consolidated standards and widespread exchange of clinical information. It also includes investments in delineation and dissemination of interoperability standards.

In addition to Brazilian companies, the local market also captured the attention of foreign companies. One example of this is the Irish company Sláinte Healthcare that has just arrived to the country bringing solutions to the EMR segment.

Before  their investment in Brazil, the CEO of the multinational company, Andrew Murphy says that they studied a number of the country's service providers and have visited many times to understand the stage of EMR penetration in institutions in order to see if the professionals have been satisfied with the available options. Microsoft's opinion also had a strong influence on this strategy that Sláinte Healthcare employs as they combine for various partnerships around the world. We found that there are thousands of Brazilian hospitals, but without much variety when it comes to EMR, he says.

In order to popularize the electronic health record, Murphy believes that the first step is to not make it complicated. “If the solution is difficult, it shall not be used. The aim of EMR is to make the lives of nurses and doctors easier, not the contrary. So it is extremely important to hear the opinions of these professionals and know what their needs really are. It is also essential that the solution was flexible, since we are dealing with health care providers from different specialties and processes.”

Requirements

But ultimately, what do managers seek with EMRs? For Magnus, the adoption of EMR should be treated as a strategic project within the hospital, with the engagement of all the medical and social assistance area. “The whole clinical body must be involved, even in choice of the product, and they have to see value in this process. Therefore, the EMR can not be seen only as a record of bureaucratic information, but as a tool that brings more efficiency to medical care, improving safety of patients. That is why choosing the right EMR is critical and shall be created based on pillars focused on safety of patients, intelligence and clinical governance.”

All this team participation also requires a phase of professional staff training, in scope of microcomputers and other issues. “In this process it is critical to look at the product. It has to be an enabling tool, with good usability, while being intuitive. In this way, we decrease the learning curve and improve the adoption of electronic medical records,” says Magnus.

Murphy also agrees that the solution should be easy for the whole team to use, but points out that the requirements of the manager are having another focus. Before this choice was based on the clinical features, but it has changed, as technology has. There is a growing concern about the safety of the medical data transfer (financial, operational and clinical data) and the attempt to minimize the clinical risks through real-time alerts.

“The world is moving to the use of mobile devices and tablets, priority is given to software that can be accessed on the web, with ability to work online and offline. These are the new criteria of managers employed to analyze the available solutions on the market. Choosing a tool that does not follow these trends can become very expensive for the institution,” concludes Murphy

What is it?

According to the Federal Medical Council, the Electronic Patient Record (EPR also known as an EMR) is the leading ICT tool that clinicians need or will need in order to deal with their daily activities, whether in the doctor's office, hospital or diagnostic center. It is essential that the doctor uses a high quality, safe tool that and can assist him or her in recording medical history and physical examinations as well as in soliciting exams and prescribing drugs.

Another important concept is the EHR that allows storage and secure sharing of information of a patient. Systems must adopt security mechanisms to ensure authenticity, confidentiality and integrity of health information. Digital certification is the technology that best provides these mechanisms.

Benefits of EPR

Information in the EMR is much more available and updated, wherever and whenever the physician needs it; test results, laboratory analysis or imaging are also available for consultation. All the stored data has greater clarity and accuracy. With the tools that come with the EMR, such as alerts and decision support systems, the possibility of error is reduced, thus bringing greater safety to the patient.

It is also shown in  international studies that the implementation of an EMR brings considerable cost savings for the institution. In addition, the EMR is much safer than a paper record and the information can be automatically shared with other professionals and institutions taking care of the patient, thus allowing continuity of the comprehensive health care. Other EMR benefits are linked to clinical research, adherence to care and clinical protocols, and also secondary use of information for epidemiological and statistical purposes.

“Government and health institutions have to see the EMR as a means for practicing better management. Managers have to see the EMR as an investment rather than an expense; they need to see value in its use.” Paul Magnus - President of MV
  
“Professionals embrace technology when it is easy to use. Doctors and nurses want to spend more time with patients. That's what technology should provide and not the opposite. The clinical involvement and ease of adoption are the keys to success for the implementation of the EMR.” Andrew Murphy - CEO of Sláinte Healthcare

Originally published in Portuguese by Health IT

http://issuu.com/grupomidia/docs/health-it_3ed_site?e=3544135/12753370 (www.health-it.com.br)

Prontuário eletrônico: muito mais que um facilitador de tarefas

De um lado um dos líderes no mercado brasileiro, do outro uma empresa que acaba de chegar ao Brasil. O que eles têm em comum? O desejo de levar o PEP para todo o país

Um grande mercado a ser explorado. Assim é visto o Brasil por empresas nacionais e estrangeiras quando o assunto é Prontuário Eletrônico do Paciente (PEP). Os números comprovam essa demanda no país: apenas 12% das instituições públicas e privadas adotam a technologia enquanto que nos Estados Unidos, com incentivo do Governo, este número chega a 80%.

“Na rede privada, temos evoluído mais forte nos últimos cinco anos. As instituições conseguem ver os ganhos da adoção do prontuário, como um atendimento mais ágil e seguro ao paciente. Também é importante destacar o papel do profissional do saúde. Eles podem atuar cobrando das instiuições e impulsionando esta popularização, explica o presidente da MV, Paulo Magnus, presente no mercado há 28 anos