Page 138 - HA Convention 2016 [Full Version]

HOSPITAL AUTHORITY CONVENTION 2016 Service Enhancement Presentations

F3.5 Clinical Safety and Quality Service I 14:30 Room 421

Modernising Chinese Medicine Practice and Management at Chinese Medicine Centres for Training and
Research
Cheung WLR 1, Lin J 2, Yung TH 2, Cheung CH 3, Tsai PC 3, Cheung WM 3, Lam WY 1, Ziea TC 1
1Chinese Medicine Department, Cluster Services Division, 2Chief Pharmacist’s Office, Cluster Services Division,
3Clinical Management Systems Team 5, Information Technology and Health Informatics Division, Hospital Authority Head Office,

Hong Kong

Introduction

Before the enactment of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance in 1999, Chinese Medicine (CM) practice in Hong Kong lacked
regulatory management. As the content of paper-based hand-written CM consultation records lacks standardisation, not only
does it hinder records retrieval, but also makes it difficult to keep track of individual medical history, and in turn affecting the
quality of service.

Tuesday, 3 May Objectives

To modernise Chinese Medicine practice and management at Chinese Medicine Centres for Training and Research (CMCTRs)
to enhance the quality of CM service and risk management effectiveness via the establishment of a designated information
system.

Methodology

The computerised Chinese Medicine Information System (CMIS) was developed to store health information electronically
according to HA policies and standards. The CM Informatics Working Group was established to advise on development
direction and a CMIS User Group was set up to discuss system initiatives and enhancements. Training and site visits have
been conducted on a regular basis to oversee the implementation of CMIS in practice. Terminology standardisation was
advocated to improve quality of medical records.

Results

CMIS was developed as an all-in-one system which increases the efficiency of patient journey at CMCTRs. The centralised
system now caters more than one million attendances per year, with more than 500 users, and allows records sharing across
all CMCTRs. Moreover, through joining the sentinel surveillance network on infectious diseases (influenza-like illness and
acute diarrhoeal diseases), records are sent to the Centre for Health Protection on a daily basis electronically. In aspect of
clinical risk management, CMIS leverage data into clinical intelligence to improve patient safety, such as prescription dosage
alerts for incompatible herbs based on the Chinese medicine adverse herbs reaction rule ( 十八反十九畏 ), and affected
patients could be traced through the real-time dispensing record retrieval system. Regarding CMCTR management, statistical
reports could be generated from CMIS to support executive decision-making for service planning, and performance
monitoring. Not only did the codified terminology standards enable a consistent approach in recording CM diagnoses and
treatments, but also facilitate research for evidence-based medicine development.

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