• 8/15/2015
    Doha 15 August, 2015: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) today announced the successful implementation of the new Clinical Information System (CIS) at The Cuban Hospital.
     
    The hospital has replaced their existing paper patient clinical records system with a new integrated electronic one. This implementation is part of a phased roll out across HMC and Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC). When the roll out is complete, patient records will be stored and accessible electronically across the two organizations. The Cuban Hospital is the sixth HMC hospital to implement the new CIS.
     
    The Clinical Information System is a comprehensive system-wide change that has been designed in collaboration with clinicians to ensure that patients receive the safest and most effective clinical care. The end result will be that patients should not need to explain their medical history more than once when they visit a public healthcare provider, because clinicians will have access to a single electronic health record for all of their patients at their fingertips. This will include the patient's healthcare history, medication list, clinical notes and other important information. It will free up healthcare professionals to focus more of their time on clinical support, and it will change the way all staff work across HMC and PHCC. 
     
    At The Cuban Hospital, the system is currently being bedded in, which means that staff are still recording patient's details on the CIS as and when they present at the hospitals. This means that appointments may take a little longer than usual. Mr. Philip Lowen, Chief Executive Officer of The Cuban Hospital explained that his team have put a number of processes in place to ensure as smooth a patient experience as possible and has thanked patients for their patience during this transition period.
     
    "I want to reassure the public that all patients are being seen within a clinically appropriate timeframe during this time of transition. The implementation of this system will help us in our aim to provide the safest, most effective and most compassionate care. It will ensure patient records are secure and up-to-date and will reduce the need for paper in the clinical environment. The CIS implementation is one of the strategic key programs for the organization and I am very grateful for the patience and support shown to us so far by our patients, and to the team who have worked on the implementation for their dedication and commitment."
     
    The importance of an electronic medical records system was set out in the National Health Strategy for Qatar, launched in 2011. To address this new national strategy, HMC and PHCC launched the CIS program in 2012, which is one of the most ambitious and important programs for the future of healthcare in Qatar.