All 43 public hospitals under the Hong Kong Hospital Authority have been confirmed to have achieved HIMSS Stage 7. Model of applying electronic medical records.
EMRAM is a globally validated model for measuring an organization’s maturity in using EMR technology.
WHY IT MATTERS
After achieving EMRAM Stage 6, HA aims to be validated for the highest EMRAM stage under its smart hospital transformation strategy.
“HA has had previous experience in achieving Phase 6 validation, but Phase 7 represents a significant step forward in terms of the level of requirements and oversight,” admits Dr Ngai Tseung Cheung, Head of Information Technology and Healthcare Informatics at HA.
Working with the HIMSS team, HA developed a comprehensive project plan for this effort.
“The preparation phase was very intensive, with hundreds of meetings and regular review sessions with HIMSS. This allowed us to refine our approach and ensure we were addressing all the necessary criteria,” said Dr. Cheung.
HA shared that the plan included engaging clinical and business leaders across its hospitals, which was critical to ensuring alignment from all key stakeholders. At HIMSS’s advice, it also had to scale back some initiatives, such as AI projects, to double down on meeting specific requirements for Phase 7 validation.
One of the key projects was upgrading the clinical management system (CMS), which has been in operation since 1994. Used by more than 70,000 employees, the system processes approximately 43 million transactions per day.
HA’s fourth-generation CMS, integrated across all 43 public hospitals, 74 outpatient clinics and 49 specialist clinics, features paperless operations, clinical workflow support and closed-loop clinical management.
It has several clinical modules, including:
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IPMOEa closed-loop computer system for prescribing, dispensing, and managing medications for inpatients;
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the Check the result Application to support screening and tracking of investigation reports;
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e-Vitalsupport accurate data collection;
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digital assistant e-Scribe to automate clinical workflows; and
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the Smart ASP Use data analytics to track prescriptions and evaluate antibiotic use, etc.
The HA Go mobile patient app is another major project. This smartphone app integrates various healthcare services, including appointment scheduling, medication management, and telehealth consultations.
During the EMRAM review, HIMSS validators praised HA for actively promoting patient adoption of the app. HA Go has had more than five million registered users since its launch. launched in 2019.
Following the evaluation, HA plans to further enhance CMS’ clinical capabilities and expand the features of the HA Go app.
“Efforts will be directed towards developing and supporting smart hospital initiatives, improving patient and staff experiences through more efficient workflows, leveraging automation and integration technologies for clinical care, hospital support and management processes,” said Dr Cheung.
Over the past two years, HA has deployed dozens of smart hospital solutions across its network. A suite of products including smart bed panels, electronic vitals data collection, smart kiosks, and integration with HA Go have helped reduce wait times and facilitate smoother hospital workflows. AI and data analytics have also been deployed to improve the accuracy and safety of disease diagnosis, including AI-enabled radiology and clinical prediction.
THE BIGGER TREND
This early year, Princ Suvarnabhumi Hospital in Thailand has also been validated for HIMSS EMRAM Phase 7. Additionally, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in South Korea and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou in Taiwan have been re-validated for this phase in the past 12 months.
ON PROFILE
“HA’s successful EMRAM validation is a significant milestone that underscores the significant progress in our digital transformation journey over the past decades. Achieving EMRAM Stage 7 accreditation from HIMSS validates HA’s continuous efforts in prioritizing patient-centered care and operational efficiency at the highest level. This milestone reflects the unwavering support and collaboration of all HA healthcare professionals and staff who have worked tirelessly to drive excellence and maintain the highest standards in healthcare IT to meet the unique needs of the Hong Kong people,” said Dr. Cheung.
