Mark Ward
Question:825. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health his plans to have a computerised patient record system that is integrated across all health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44959/20]
View answerWednesday, 13 January 2021
Questions (825)
Written answers
I assume that the Deputy is referring to an integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR) which will incorporate health systems data from multiple health systems.
We need to be clear that an integrated Electronic Health Record that spans multiple health ICT systems and health service settings in many different locations for most health patients is a long-term programme of work. It encompasses many other projects and pillars of eHealth, Sláintecare and ICT working together to form a joined up modern health system that delivers patient data in a consistent, convenient and robust format for use by clinical staff providing care to patients.
Some major building blocks are already in place. There has been a consistent level of capital investment in core ICT infrastructure and clinical systems since the publication of the eHealth strategy in 2013. An enterprise wide EHR systems was deployed in the largest acute hospitals in Ireland (St James Hospital, Dublin) in 2018. The procurement of an even more extensive EHR for the national children’s hospital is currently underway. Standards are being developed to support interoperability between health systems. The provision of more care in the community and reducing our reliance on services delivered in the acute hospital sector, will require the delivery of healthcare records for patients that can be accessed across the health sector, allowing 'data to follow the patient'. This is one of the ambitions of the Sláintecare reform programme and will lead to greater levels of integrated care and the ability to treat more patients nearer to home.
There are relatively few countries that have achieved a level of integrated health care records at national level. Those that have only done only achieved this goal after many years of consistent investment focussed on that ambition. Ireland is on that journey.