With its many locations, Rijndam Rehabilitation is the largest rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands. In order to be able to move with the patient’s needs, to be able to work as efficiently and effectively as possible and to concentrate on their main tasks: providing care, the choice was made for a phased transition to a digital file: the EHR rehabilitation (R-EHR). Archive-IT talks to Rajen Bhattoe, Project Manager at Rijndam Rehabilitation, where he explains in detail how they deal with the transition to an integrated R-EHR
The past, present and future within one environment
Rajen Bhattoe talks about the start of the project: “At Rijndam Rehabilitation we have been using Ecaris from VIR since our existence. In addition to Ecaris, we are now working on the roll-out of the R-EHR within our organisation. These two systems are linked together, so that planning data and name and address data can be linked. Yet this was not complete. The “paper history” also had to be made accessible within our digital information structure, because only then do you have one complete image and can you really work digitally and efficiently. Archive-IT came into play here. We have an integration within the R-EHR with Archive-IT Virtual Archive, which we internally call ‘the link to the scanned file’. All paper information from the past is therefore integrated in the R-EHR!”
“In August 2014, we started with all preparations for the pilot implementations of the Archive-IT Virtual Archive. Think of cleaning up our own historical archive. In October 2015, the R-EHR went live for the first time, so that our people could already work with it extensively. They were immediately very enthusiastic about the ‘scanned file’, because there was no more unnecessary searching time. There were still some wishes with regard to logging in, because because of all those systems that practitioners nowadays use next to each other, logging in again and again is an issue. Fortunately, Archive-IT has developed a Single Sign On solution for this. We are now working with this solution, which means that treatment providers have to log in to the R-EHR once and no longer for the scanned file. That saves a lot of time!”
Step by step and well-considered!
“The rehabilitation EPD is implemented in all clinical and outpatient treatment departments of Rijndam rehabilitation. The introduction of the Rehabilitation EHR is a major operation. Not only at the ICT level, but also at the organisational level. For the employees it is a big change and has a big impact. Think of working methods and mutual coordination around the patient, the processes and resources. A preparation time of more than a year was required for the full roll-out of the EPD rehabilitation programme. A deliberate choice was made for a phased roll-out, so that the experiences gained with this can be transferred to the implementations of all clinical and outpatient treatment departments at Rijndam. In the meantime, the R-EPD has been rolled out within a large part of Rijndam. The outpatient clinics (children) and clinics (children and adults) will be equipped with the R-EPD in 2015. In 2016 it will be the turn of the hospital locations and the implementation project will be completed in September 2016”.
Say what you do, do what you say!
“The choice to work with Archive-IT was not an easy one,” says Rajen Bhattoe. “The success of the project and acceptance of the R-EPD depends on how the paper past is unlocked in the R-EPD. We have consciously made this important. So there are many requirements! We invited four suppliers for a product presentation, the most important criteria of which was the integration. Archive-IT was very convincing. They were able to show that what they said could actually be realized. Because Archive-IT has carried out a similar project and has a partnership with VIR, we knew we were in the right place. In addition, acceptance and ease of use were also a requirement. The way in which digital files were presented convinced people to join us. Archive-IT offers a good combination of speed, functionality and recognizability.”
Safety
The privacy of our patients is number 1. “Another aspect we have looked at is information security. Think of certifications. Archive-IT meets these requirements and that gives us confidence. Due to new developments in the market, such as the Wet Meldplicht Datalekken, which will come into force on 1 January 2016, and the digital safeguarding of our patient data, information security has an even higher priority.
Rijndam Rehabilitation still has a long way to go, but is very enthusiastic and satisfied with the steps that have been taken so far. In this way, a well-considered and process-based change can be achieved.