Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC)’s Nursing Informatics team says that technology plays a major role in improving patient care.
The team, which is led by Dr Wasmiya Dalhem Al Kuwari, Executive Director of Nursing Informatics at HMC, has recently supported this by leading training for nurses on a new Clinical Information System (CIS) which is being implemented across Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) hospitals and clinics.
Dr Al Kuwari said, “The new electronic system enables nurses to access consolidated patient records in real-time without the hassle of going through a lot of paperwork. With all past medical histories, labs and diagnostics available on one system, nurses can make decisions quicker. The time saved can then be used more effectively for attending to patients’ urgent needs and most importantly, enhancing their safety.”
Recently, the Nursing Informatics Department was recognised for its work in the implementation of CIS during HMC’s annual Stars of Excellence Awards.
Explaining more about the role of Nursing Informatics, Dr Al Kuwari said, “Nursing Informatics is a developing domain in the field of nursing worldwide. It is a specialty that advocates, trains and guides nurses to incorporate information technology into their practices.”
“The main objective of Nursing Informatics is to advance the best use of clinical information and technological systems in the improvement of health care systems and patient care delivery at HMC. This includes enhancing documentation accuracy and decreasing the time spent by nurses creating and updating documentation, which ultimately benefits patients,” she added.
In addition to the CIS implementation, last year HMC became the first hospital facility in the Middle East to launch a new electronic system — Cerner Clairvia — for the management and organisation of more than 8,000 nursing staff. Cerner Clairvia is considered one of the leading systems used to manage nursing staff in prominent healthcare institutions across the United States.
With HMC opening three new hospitals in 2017, as well as the new Communicable Diseases Center’s opening in November, Nursing Informatics will continue to work to equip nurses with the changing technological demands of their profession.
“We are preparing our nurses with the competencies and skills required to practice in a future health care environment. New HMC facilities are opening and we are not only going behind the scenes but leading the preparation phase for the rollout of the CIS across those facilities,” Dr Al Kuwari said.
