Chandigarh: In about seven months, a premier medical institute PGI It will be the country’s first complex integrated software system for patient care in which registration, appointment booking, test reports, sample collection, accounts and HR will be fully automated. However, each system will be launched in phases.
This is under the Hospital Information System 2 (HIS 2) which will be launched this month following an MoU with the Center for Development of Advanced Computing.CDAC) is signed.
CDAC will provide integrated software. Director of PGI Prof. “There is no model in the country with such a complex and integrated software system that has more than 50 departments and different patient workflows,” said Vivek Lal.
PGI has started the process of procuring the hardware for its HIS 2, while for the software, it is being developed by CDAC. In addition to the online system, clinicians and patients will have an Android/iOS based application where reports, medical history, Patient record, discharge summary and medication prescription will be available with a unique patient ID. Previous records will also be accessible.
Sources said that more than Rs 20 crore will be spent on the server to be settled at PGI itself. “We will not rely on any third party server for data. But we are still not sure how the system will be integrated by CDAC. There can be one system for a section or all can be clubbed. But the result will be complete automation of patient care in OPD and in-patient department,” said a faculty member.
“After almost a year now, patients’ pain and waiting period will be reduced. Easy digital machines for payment have significantly reduced payment hassles at all 40 counters of PGI,” said Prof Lal.
According to experts, HIS 2 will be challenging once operational. “Different departments here function in unique ways. For example, the medicine department refers patients to other departments, while non-clinical departments such as microbiology, histopathology, and biochemistry collect samples.
Therefore, the work flow is variable and the same digital platform, once implemented across different departments, will take some time for doctors to adjust,” said a faculty member. Once the software is operational, the data is collected, Electronic Health Record And AI applications will be launched under a separate project.
