South Island DHBs work with Orion Health to build regional patient information system

The South Island District Health Boards (DHBs) have signed an agreement with Orion Health to build a shared patient administration system.

The South Island Patient Information Care System (SI PICS) will become the regional system for patient information management at Canterbury, Nelson Marlborough, Southern, South Canterbury and West Coast DHBs, which are all members of the South Island Alliance.

The portal will streamline and integrate clinical and administrative functions, making tasks simpler for staff, and providing patients with a more efficient health care service.

Implementation of the regional SI PICS has already begun with the first go-live at Canterbury DHB, to be followed by Nelson Marlborough in early 2016. All five DHBs are expected to be on the same system by 2020.

SI PICS includes patient demographics, Master Patient Index, appointment booking, waiting list management, patient transfers, record of patient activity, reporting, admission and discharges and alerts and allergies.

Nick Lanigan, SI PICS executive regional program manager, says the agreement with Orion Health is an important step toward the improved management of patient information in South Island hospitals.

“It is one of many crucial steps to connecting health workers across the South Island with co-ordinated, consistent access to a single system,” says Lanigan in a statement.

“SI PICS will result in a more streamlined patient journey through health services, from the community to the hospital and beyond and co-ordinate care between different hospitals and care providers around the South Island. It’ll result in improved patient safety and enable better quality health services.”

Lanigan says the SI PICS regional team has members from all the DHBs who have been working together with Orion Health to develop this fit-for-purpose and future thinking patient management system.

SI PICS will not just replace the existing patient administration systems, but embed new and sustainable functionality to provide greater integration and quality of health care now and in the future. It will provide access to Patient Demographics, Master Patient Index, Appointment booking, Waiting list management, Patient transfers, Record of patient activity, Reporting, Admission and discharges and Alerts and allergies.

“This is partnership on a regional scale, and we are very proud to be part of the South Island Alliance vision for a sustainable South Island health and disability system through innovative technology development and support,” says David Hepburn, Orion Health Hospital Solutions director.

He says Orion Health will take the experience from the partnership to other health organisations and health alliances globally.

“We can apply the lessons to the work we are doing all around the world in the North America, Asia and Europe to deliver connected solutions for healthcare facilities and regions.”

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