The paediatric surgical unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has implemented a digital patient record system that has assisted the hospital to significantly improve patient care.
Dr Jerome Loveland, head of Paediatric Surgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, says that technology plays a significant role in improving patient care, as well as providing credible and accurate academic research.
The hospital is the largest acute hospital in the world and with an increase of 28% in the past nine years in the paediatric surgical department alone it was imperative to find a solution that would enable the hospital to improve patient record keeping. According to Loveland the new system, 'Simplify MD', has made a remarkable difference, providing reliable patient information that is easily accessible. "The system provides comprehensive documentation of operations and a discharge summary, enabling us to make informed and accurate decisions timeously."
Simplify MD is a world-class healthcare IT system which was donated by The IQ Business Group. The company has also trained department employees and continues to provide support. "The decision to partner with the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and the paediatric surgical department was not difficult," says Adam Craker, Chief Executive Officer, The IQ Business Group South Africa. "We could see upfront that Simplify MD would assist Dr Loveland and his team to make a difference to the lives of their patients and their families every single day."
"The increased strain on public and private health sectors to keep up with demand is quite literally a global challenge. This is a particularly an issue in South Africa where public health consumes around 11% of the government's total budget and the rapid growing private sector works feverishly to help. Dr. Jerome Loveland is a world class surgeon and The IQ Business Group is an exceedingly professional organisation whose passion for the betterment of all South Africans was apparent from the start.
That SimplifyMD was chosen by such an impressive team and to have our product playing its part at the world's largest hospital makes us proud and is humbling at the same time," says Matt Ethington, SimplifyMD president.
Dr Loveland says that another vital component of the system is that it allows the department to create a comprehensive and up-to-date database that will enable the hospital to contribute to academic research in addition to providing clinical care.
"The improved database will provide vital information at our fingertips, enabling us to conduct research into illnesses, communities, genders, recovery processes and so much more. We are excited about the opportunities this system has provided to us and our patients."
Simplify MD is an easy-to-use comprehensive system that can be applied across disciplines while allowing users total access to information instantly and simultaneously from a remote or actual environment. "Simplify MD is the future of modern medical information exchange that provides measurable results. In the US alone the system converted half-a-million medical records in just fifty days," concludes Craker.
