As criticism mounts just days before the launch of a digital pilot project in two CIUSSSs, health-care professionals are highlighting the benefits of this controversial new system.
The Digital Health Record (DSN), the system proposed by Epic, is set to launch this Saturday at the CIUSSS de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec and the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, despite reported security flaws and technical issues.
But officials who will be called upon to support the system’s implementation have praised the DSN’s user-friendliness and the streamlining of tasks it provides.
Marie-Annie Girard, a trained nurse who has worked as a manager in a long-term care facility, is the lead trainer for the clinical documentation module and will be assigned to the command center during the implementation of the pilot projects.
In an interview with The Canadian Press released on Wednesday, she noted that the DSN helps significantly streamline the steps involved in admitting a patient to a long-term care facility, among other things.
“There will be a reduction in tasks that do not add value,” she argued.
For example, currently, a 50-page paper file must be completed to admit a new resident to a long-term care facility; about 20 of those pages must also be faxed and then filed, and if the new resident is taking about 20 medications, a nurse must transcribe the information by hand.
“Now, it takes 10 seconds,” said Girard, adding that the pharmacist can also receive the file immediately thanks to a “sharing” feature.
Similarly, pharmacist Pierre-Olivier Hallé pointed out that the DSN reduces the number of steps involved as well as the risk of errors in prescriptions.
“There used to be a lot of delays and a lot of errors in transcriptions,” he explained.
“We no longer have to struggle to interpret dosages because of illegible handwriting. We’re eliminating errors and making the medication process safer.”
Previously, when he went up to the floors to see patients, he had to consult multiple paper files as well as various computer systems, “all scattered about,” he laments.
With a single click, Epic will be able to retrieve information on, for example, allergies, medications, and health issues, Hallé noted.
“It’s going to simplify my follow-up care; the notes that used to take me three minutes to write can now be done in five minutes. So I’ll be able to see more patients and provide better medication management. That’s clear. I don’t know of many software programs that can do what Epic does.”
According to him, after a month or two of using Epic, a user will see their efficiency increase.
“Once you get to know it, it’s simple, efficient, and the data is reliable,” argued Hallé.
Girard also cited an example from her own experience. A patient is admitted to a “trauma room” in a hospital in the middle of the night; you have their name but not their medical record, so you have to run to the archives to retrieve it, and the clerk is on break. With Epic, a single request is all it takes to access the record.
The same applies to transferring a record from one hospital to another.
Furthermore, a data set will be much more easily accessible to the entire health-care network, enabling work on processes and continuous improvement within teams, she explained.
“I have high hopes for the efficiency and results; this will foster staff engagement,” said Girard.
The two professionals understand their colleagues’ reservations about this digital shift, “a new development that’s scary,” as Hallé put it.
Staff working with Epic in other provinces and facilities have all said they wouldn’t go back, he noted.
“We’ve really bought the Ferrari of integrated medical records,” he asserts.
For several weeks now, complaints and red flags have been mounting regarding the implementation of the two pilot projects.
On Wednesday, during question period, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger acknowledged that there were “bugs,” but assured that the project would move forward starting Saturday.
“Santé Québec has done thorough groundwork to prepare properly, and I have confidence,” she said as she left the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the public procurement authority (AMP) was investigating the awarding of the contract to Epic in 2023.
The implementation of the pilot projects in the two CIUSSSs will cost at least $400 million, and more than 1,000 people will be involved in supporting the operation.
But overall, the DSN is a solution that could cost between $1.5 billion and $3 billion.
It is a solution designed to merge no fewer than 400 different computer systems within the health-care network.
The system will allow health-care professionals to view and update a patient’s digital medical record—including all relevant data—in real time, starting from the moment the patient is admitted.
Santé Québec emphasized that the selected solution has been proven. It is already in use in 16 countries, covering 2,800 hospitals, 125,000 beds, 70,000 clinics, and 580,000 physicians, with a total of 317 million users.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
