DIPS-EPJ 2: Facing the multi-faceted aspects of design and implementation of “next generation” Electronic Patient Records

Description

In western health care services, there has been a paradigm shift related to the needs and expectations of ICT systems, and especially related to EPR systems as a process- and decision support tool. Consequently, this addresses challenges for vendors in the development of ICT tools that can improve and support the standardization of various patient care pathways.

Primarily, the electronic patient record (EPR) has been a tool to document clinical assessments, treatment, and care afterwards. This research project focuses on the development of next generation electronic patient journal systems based on structured clinical information (in this case openEHR archetypes), which allow reuse of clinical information, and process and decision support as the interaction with the patient occurs.

Empirically, the research project follows the FIKS (translated to Joint Implementation of Clinical Systems) program, which is one of the most ambitious ICT projects in Norwegian healthcare. The FIKS program is the organization that will implement new clinical ICT systems for all 11 hospitals in Helse Nord Authority. Initially, over 100 clinicians from different health professions and different geographical locations worked with the vendor to develop new EPR software/functionality. The program has a budget of 650 million NOK.

Goals

Primarily, the electronic patient record (EPR) has been a tool to document clinical assessments, treatment, and care afterwards. This research project focuses on the development of the next generation electronic patient journal systems based on structured clinical information (in this case openEHR archetypes), which allow reuse of clinical information, and process and decision support as the interaction with the patient occurs.

Method

The project has a qualitative research approach focusing on the development, implementation and use of a structured electronic patient record (EPR), which allows reuse of clinical information, as well as process and decision support for clinicians, managers and decision makers. By following the empirical process, the project aims to contributes with knowledge about the socio-technical and organizational measures to enable structured EPR systems.