Martin hails new healthcare info system

A new system for gathering healthcare information will be a vital step in implementing reforms in the sector, a senior minister said today.

Micheál Martin said the National Health Information Strategy, which was originally planned for 2001, would develop greater national healthcare standards through granting controlled access to patient records and gathering information on waiting lists.

He said: “A balance needs to be struck between patient privacy and the needs of public health.

“Clearly the needs of patients will be uppermost.”

Around €72m has been put aside for the new information project and a health information and quality authority will be established.

The Health Department said over the next five years around €475m will be put into the implementation of the strategy, with €350m capital funding already guaranteed.

At the strategy launch in Dublin, Mr Martin said that it would be the end of next year before parts of the Health Information Bill are to be published.

“We would hope to be in a position in September to establish and to appoint and announce the interim Health Information and Quality Authority and the members of that, and we will be working on that over the summer,” the Health Minister said.

The authority would develop information caches, promote quality assurance programmes and oversee health technology assessments to ensure a identification and electronic health care record.

The new strategy would give both doctors and patients easier access to health information and allow them to make more informed choices.

The Health Department said the gathering of statistics through the national strategies on cancer and cardiovascular problems stressed the requirement for better information to measure needs, target services and assess outcomes.

He said there was a need to join the existing information together and to develop stronger health statistics on a pan-European basis.

Mr Martin said: “The bottom line is, basically, if we are going to have an effective health service, we have to have information under pinning it right or it will not be as effective as it should be.”

He said the electronic patients record will help the treatment of patients by ensuring continuity and developing of medical information.

The electronic healthcare record will allow for the transfer of patient information between counties, hospitals and GPs.

Mr Martin said we were one of the first countries to have an internet-based system which records all errors within health care environment.

“Thousands have been recorded to date, from minor risks to major risks, and I think we made significant progress on that. Now over time we could look at that from a risk assessment point of view, we can look at patterns emerging or certain mistakes happening on a too regular basis and then steps can be taken to avoid that.”

A National Population Health Observatory will also be established under the strategy to monitor trends and provide early warning of future medical problems.