| Project Objectives / Summary:
This project sought to address two challenges that currently confront general practice:
- How best to harness IT so that it enhances general practice; and
- How to improve the communication interface between hospitals and GPs.
GPs and hospital clinicians need efficient and accurate information regarding the ongoing care of the patient. Details on patient medication therapies and follow up treatment are a significant part of this care. This project sought to assess the viability of providing a combined general practice / hospital medication management system. The objectives of the project were to:
- Develop a combined GP / hospital approach for introducing medication management software in both environments;
- Establish processes, which will enable the ACT Division of General Practice and the Canberra Hospital (TCH) to trial medication management software. Initially this project was to be conducted in partnership with the Hunter Health Area; and
- Develop an information technology initiative, which would ultimately have national application within the Australian Health system.
(The Medication Management Project in the Hunter Health Area did not proceed. The ACT DGP subsequently varied the initial proposal to develop the software required within the ACT project.)
Project Collaboration:
- The Canberra Hospital - Information Management Group, Director of Medical Services, Pharmacy Department, & Medical Services
- Mimsdata
- Consumer representation on the Project steering committee
Project Outcomes:
The Division considers that the objectives for the project were achieved. The project team did encounter a resistance to change in work practices and considerable concerns regarding patient confidentiality and these aspects were addressed in the initial stages.
The trial implementation was limited to two areas of the hospital, Medical Oncology and the Emergency Department. The trial was undertaken as a 'proof of concept' for the development of a system for medication information exchange between ACT hospitals and GP utilising the proposed Health Information Network. The software proposed for in the trial was MIMS DATA system GP Practice Management application. The application was chosen as it was already being utilised by a large proportion of the ACT GP community. However, there would be no problem applying the same methodology to any similar software application used in other jurisdictions nationally. Similarly other messaging software could be utilised for the messaging component of the MIMS Data application.
Recommendations:
The recommended actions of the Steering Committee were:
- To seek funds for the implementation of the Medication Management Pilot between The Canberra Hospital and ACT GPs early in 2001; and
- To obtain commitment from the executive of The Canberra Hospital and the GPs in the ACT to implementation of a trial medication management system to operate between the agencies for a six month period in early 2001.
- Support future recommendation for a proposal to implement a staged rollout of the system into more areas of the hospital. Those areas that have significant GP involvement in patient care would be considered a priority, such as the Cardiology Department and Aged Care and then the system would be made available to remaining hospital areas.
Disseminating Project Information:
Publications:
The final Functional Requirements specification were forwarded to:
- Emergency Department, The Canberra Hospital
- Medical Training Unit, The Canberra Hospital
- ACT Department of Health, Information Management Unit
- The ACT Privacy Commissioner
Lessons / Assessment:
Holding working party meetings on site at the TCH counteracted the problems of availability and time restraints of clinical staff.
The extended timeframe for the delivery of the next phase of the project (the trial of the medication management system) discouraged active commitment to the project planning processes from the medical staff.
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