In an effort to improve patient safety, South Australia Health is looking to purchase a cancer information system (CIS) to be used in 13 hospitals.
Department documents state that cancer management within SA hospitals is performed through numerous disparate systems ranging from local patient admission systems to manual paper based record keeping.
“Drugs are ordered and formulated manually and the complex process of following standard treatment protocols is presenting a tangible risk to patient safety," the documents read. "A CIS has been proven with other hospitals to increase patient safety and improve operating efficiency."
The CIS will be used to manage patient history across all sites a patient may visit, have up-to-date prescribing information on hand during clinic visits and allow appropriate drug selections.
The system will also automate the screening for drug interactions, dosing calculations and enable coordination between team members.
“Implementation of a CIS will enable the SA Cancer Network to have a centralised information system for all patients undergoing cancer treatment and as such provide a safer, more effective and efficient system allowing for the seamless movement of patients within the network."
It will be used in a number of metro and rural sites including the Royal Adelaide Hospital and will need to support various Personal Didgital Assistants (PDAs) and tablets including the iPad.
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