| Project Objectives / Summary:
The purpose of the CEPHIS project was to trial a button based patient-held electronic health record. The trial was to involve 50 patients, their treating GPs and the local hospital, (Footscray Hospital).
Project Outcomes:
In March 2001 the Division requested an extension of time to complete the project due to a number of difficulties. These difficulties also became the reason for the early conclusion of the CEPHIS project. Difficulties experienced included:
- Reluctance of GPs to participate
- Hospital-based enrolment of patients - the plan of the project was to link up patients admitted to the hospital with their participating GP. Recruitment difficulties with GPs & extremely busy ward staff (who were required to identify suitable patients) meant that this method of recruitment was unsatisfactory.
- Critical mass not reached
- Software & hardware - the stand alone software (produced by MIMS) was not specifically designed for this project and, although deemed adequate, did have some deficiencies.
Lessons / Assessment:
The Division considers that this technology has potential value but was about 2 years early. It found that the button format was attractive to GPs and was easy to read and write, using the hardware available. It would be an advantage to have greater capacity, to record more information. Software needs to be improved, making it even easier to use, and to interface with both decision-support capability and other, popular brands of clinical software.
A small number of GPs who agreed to participate were willing to give up their time to try this new technology. The crucial issue to be faced in a project of this type is to achieve a critical mass of participating GPs. To do this requires that the supporting hardware and software be rolled out almost universally across the catchment's area and that GPs are compensated adequately for their participation in the use of electronic, Patient-held records. As the Division states, the project and the Division have added to the knowledge on this subject area and should assist others to make more informed decisions.
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