Transcript EMIS system: Features

Medical Informatics
The Carryduff Health
Practice: Computing
System
Jenny Cosgrove
Conor Boyle
Azlin Rahman
The Carryduff Health
Centre: An Introduction
EMIS GP Computing System used
Devise by doctors in Leeds 18
years ago
Installed in the Carryduff Health
Centre since 1991
The Carryduff Health
Centre: An Introduction
Ten minutes drive from Belfast (approx.
8miles away).
Provides healthcare to approximately
8000 people.
Made up of 4 GPs, 1 registrar and 4
supporting staffs.
Fundholding practice
EMIS system: Cost
Installation cost : £13 000
75% spent was paid by the NHS to
encourage the use of computers among
GP practices
System updates itself constantly and
automatically- no cost for updating
Benefits outweigh costs.
Security
System is password protected
Each staff member at surgery has own
username and password
Blank screen after 2 minutes
Computer closes down to password
screen
Built in virus checker
Security
Daily back-up
A copy is kept at the surgery in a fireproof safe
A further copy is kept off-site
EMIS system: Features
The EMIS system hosts a huge amount of
features accommodating a major amount
of the practice’s needs.
Features used during consultations include;
appointment details
patients records
prescriptions
EMIS Features:
Appointments
All appointments entered
on to system (no longer
a need for an
appointment book)
System details;
 Arrival time of patient
Length of wait of patient
Length of consultation
EMIS Features: Patients
Records
Surgery is now completely converted from
paper to paperless
Notes typed during or after consultation
on computer. (Can be slow)
Practice is ‘dabbling’ in voice consultations
EMIS Features:
Prescriptions
All prescriptions, entered, stored and printed
from computers
System details;
Dose
Usage
Prescription details of drug prescribed.
EMIS Features:
Prescriptions
In new prescriptions, system;
Checks patients records
Warns doctor
Offers dosage list
Displays cost
Updates records
EMIS Features: Programs
Mentor plus program
Basically a medical text
book on computer
which holds;
Consultation videos
Online advice leaflets
General information
Prodigy program is a
further program
detailing;
Treatment procedures
Advice
Contacts
Aids to diagnosis
EMIS Features: Additional
Lab results sent through secure line from
Belfast City Hospital
Display screen attached to computer in
waiting room
System also holds referrals, budget and
accounts information
Advantages and Disadvantages
Computerisation
within health care has
many advantages,
although it also
introduces new
problems and risks
Advantages
Possibility to improve security of data
Passwords
Logon
Screen saver
Automatic logout
Encryption
Hard disk locks
Only doctor need see records
Audit trail
Advantages
Possibility to improve integrity of data
All records related to patient are updated
when just one record is changed e.G. Name
Certain fields may be obligatory before a
record can be saved e.G. NHS number
Repeat prescriptions can be easily issued
Patients in specific disease groups can be
isolated - helps in audit and drug trials
Advantages
Decision support systems - may improve
care and accuracy of diagnosis - prodigy
Online reference media
Enables doctors to quickly check information
about certain conditions - up to date
May be used to help educate the patient
about their disease
May actually speed up some consultations
Advantages
Waiting times in GP surgery can be
assessed to determine efficiency of
appointment times
Generally saves time and effort although
there is not much difference in cost due to
the high price of equipment and need for
constant updates
Disadvantages
If correct security
measures are not
taken then risk may
increase
Contingency measures
may not have been
fully developed so
problems may arise in
event of system failure
Disadvantages
Entry of notes may be slow if the user has
not enough experience
Hospital letters are received in hardcopy
and so must be typed or scanned
(unreliable and time consuming) back into
the computer
Training
Attention may be drawn away from
patient
EMIS system:Training
Self taught
One to two days training
sessions
Training in Windows