HMC Ambulance Service serves over 2 mn patients through EPCR

Tribune News NetworkDohaHamad Medical Corporation’s Ambulance Service has registered more than two million patients through its state-of-the-art electronic patient clinical record (EPCR) system, which was launched in 2016. The system enables clinical information about the patient’s condition to be sent through by paramedics to the hospital receiving team while the patient is still being transported in the ambulance. Then, on arrival at the hospital, the receiving nurse is able to scan the barcode on the electronic patient clinical record and the patient’s data is automatically added to the Clinical Information System. The EPCR improves the way in which patient information is communicated between clinical teams. With a marked increase in activity by the Ambulance Service during the COVID-19 pandemic, the system has seen more patients than ever before benefit from the system. "The introduction of the EPCR has enabled us to improve the standard of care we deliver to our patients. The end result of this new technology is a more efficient and effective service for our patients. The EPCR collects a wide a range of data including patient demographic information, patient assessment information, care management details, hand over information and case details including locations and timings,” said Rashid Andaila, Senior Manager of Communication Technologies at HMC’s Ambulance Service. Another important feature of the EPCR is that is provides ambulance crews with reminders about clinical practice guidelines as well as medicine formulary and standard operating procedures. Staff compliance to clinical practice guidelines is also enhanced through the provision of standardized data, which can be viewed in many formats including algorithms, visual aids and clinical scorings.