A big step towards paper-free workplace at PMH

Three user-friendly electronic systems, jointly developed by the colleagues from Information Technology Department and clinical departments, have been launched in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) to facilitate nursing handover, interdisciplinary diagnosis and overtime work applications. Developed at a low cost, these three systems have successfully added value to the workplace and met warm reception from frontline colleagues who now enjoy a happier working environment and demonstrate higher efficiency.

Digitalised nursing handover: clearer and more convenient

“In the past, nurses needed to write down the key points about patients and their case on paper and pass it on to colleagues in the next shift for nursing handover. Sometimes, it wasn’t easy to understand others’ handwriting or these paper notes would simply disappear after handover, making it difficult to grasp the overall conditions and needs of the patients. However, when we use this new Patient Clinical Handover System, we only need to fill in the SBAR columns (patients’ situation / background / clinical assessment and recommendation) following the instructions and then everyone can read the information easily, regardless of which shift they work on. This standardised electronic form also helps guide junior colleagues through what to follow up to avoid omissions or miscommunication. Moreover, nursing procedures and guidelines have been uploaded onto the system to ensure that patients can receive appropriate care,” says Suen Sui-mei, Department Operations Manager at Department of Neurosurgery & Integrated Care Centre.

She adds that patients’ record would also be carried over in case they are transferred to other wards for colleagues there to follow up.

Case management system: quick and accurate multidisciplinary consultation

The surgical mixed ward has commenced service last November to handle patients from trauma and general surgery, orthopaedics and neurosurgery specialties. To help colleagues from various specialties work smoothly in the same ward, a case management system was developed by trauma nurse consultants, frontline and information technology colleagues. This system ensures that patients who require various specialties care can receive timely consultation and referral. Leung Ming, Nurse Consultant (Trauma) and Wong Mei-han, Manager of Mixed Surgical Ward explain the traditional procedure: for example, if the attending doctor of an orthopaedic patient found it necessary to seek advice from the surgeon, he would write down the consultation request and wait for the houseman to send it to surgical department. As soon as the surgeon received the order, he would come over to the ward to carry out consultation. The whole process usually would take at least several hours or even more.

  

The use of this new system can shorten the processing time, Leung Ming explains further. Nurses just need to enter the consultation request into the system after the attending doctor has finished the ward round. Relevant information will be shown on the screen to allow doctors from other specialties to know which patients need their advice. In other words, doctors can conduct consultation before receiving a written ‘consultation order’.

Payroll e-Claims systems set a good example for other hospitals

Apart from the e-systems that facilitate clinical work, the payroll e-Claims systems have been introduced in the Kowloon West Cluster (KWC) in phase since 2011 to help staff save time in filling forms for subsidy application or overtime work report. Queenie Lam, System Manager of Information Technology Department and Mazza Chung, Senior Finance Manager say, “We hope to help colleagues reduce non-clinical administration work through introduction of the systems in hospitals under KWC. Staff members in the cluster can use the systems to claim and approve shift allowance, overtime salary, allowance on working days under typhoon and black rainstorm, application for the Special Honourarium Scheme and even the working hours of temporary staff. With the accurate and clear automated aided calculation function, the systems are widely welcomed by colleagues.” The team is now studying how to make it possible for contract part-time staff members to report their working hours through the systems, a new feature that is expected to launch in April this year.