Scotland is set to become the first country in the world with an entirely paperless health service, as wireless hand-held computers allow doctors and nurses to check and update patient records wherever they go.
The machines let staff move from bedside to bedside downloading patient histories, test results, and digital x-rays on the electronic equivalent of a clipboard called a mobile clinical assistant (MCA), or toughbook.
Information is delivered through dedicated hospital wi-fi systems, with access to the most sensitive information restricted to senior medical professionals.
NHS Greater Glasgow and NHS Lothian have already bought machines, and trials are underway in Grampian, Highland, Western Isles and Forth Valley.
Experts estimate the whole health service in Scotland could be paper free in five to seven years.
A trial last year at St John's Hospital, Livingston suggested staff saved up to an hour a day using the machines rather than going to desktop computers.
To ensure security, no data is stored on the MCAs themselves, which are used solely to read and update files on remote databases.
Neil Campbell, of Panasonic Healthcare in Scotland and Ireland, which makes MCAs, said Scotland was well placed to be the first country to switch completely to electronic health records.
It is already beating England, another world leader, in use of the technology He said: "People are getting rid of paper records as much as they can. I'm confident that we in Scotland are going to be paperless within five to seven years.
"In England, it's much more fragmented ... but in Scotland there is a consistent approach."
He said prescriptions could also be arranged electronically.
"At the moment, the community pharmacies aren't hooked into the rest of the computer system, but once they are, a GP should be able to write a prescription and electronically send it to the pharmacy, and the patient will be able to pick it up without any piece of paper.
"That should stop people swapping prescriptions, and cut down on fraud."
Seven MCAs were piloted last year by NHS Lothian at St John's Hospital in Livingston, and the health board has now ordered 100.
Martin Egan, director of e-Health for NHS Lothian, said a wider rollout began two weeks ago at St John's, and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the capital's Western General Hospital will follow. Next month, the technology will be extended to district nurses in East Lothian.
He said: "It's one of the few technologies which had people gnashing their teeth when we had to take them away. The clinical staff felt it saved them a significant amount of time, potentially an hour a day."
He added: "Within the period of a ward round, which might take an hour, data can be updated. Clinicians can also show patients their digital x-rays to explain their condition."
However, he was sceptical that Scotland would soon be paper-free because of the time taken to install wireless infrastructure in hospitals.
Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, said it was vital to ensure staff get proper training and are involved in decisions over new technology to ensure patient care remains the priority.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Tom Gordon
Quelle/Source: Sunday Herald, 21.06.2009
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