Monday, January 31, 2011

HR: ePrescribing system to be implemented across country by end of January 2011 | ePractice

Since 3 January 2011, paper prescriptions for medicines have been replaced with electronic prescriptions in the counties of Lika-Senj (central Croatia) and Međimurje (northern Croatia). By the end of January 2011, all counties across Croatia are expected to switch to ePrescriptions.

In practice, the switch from paper to an electronic prescribing system requires the prescriber to transmit electronically prescription information via computer to that of the pharmacist. Patients can then get their medicines simply by using their medical card. The introduction of ePrescriptions will continue on 17 January 2011 in other counties and will end on 31 January 2011 when Zagreb County and Zagreb City will also connect to the system.

Once ePrescrptions have been put into use, the introduction of eReferral will follow; it will first be implemented in microbiological laboratories and for other services. In order to avoid emergency situations, such as the inability of pharmacies that are electronically linked with the eHealth CEZIH system to dispense prescriptions electronically, first-time patients will be able to ask the doctor the history of the disease for which the drugs are used, so that they can get them in case of a problem. This has been agreed between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists.

The Croatian eHealth system has been tested and it is ready for use; it has been implemented under the advanced system of data protection (HL7), which is recommended by the World Health Organisation and the European Commission. The system is run from two identical servers, one located in Rijeka and the other one in Zagreb; in case either of the two servers fails, one will continue to work avoiding thus any loss of data.

The project of the computerisation of the primary health care system will cost HRK 55 million (approx. €7.5 million) and, given the current cost of paper for a prescription which is HRK 15 million (approx. €2 million), the investment is expected to pay off in two to two and half years.

The introduction of ePrescriptions, and later eReferrals, will increase cost-efficiency and access to health care, while the administrative burden for healthcare practitioners and pharmacists will be minimised.

Source: ePractice.eu

Monday, January 10, 2011

Facts for Life saves lives

Each year, around 9 million children die from preventable and treatable illnesses before reaching their fifth birthday. Many die during their first year of life. Countless more children live in precarious situations and face diminished futures. The handbook, Facts for Life, provides vital messages and information for mothers, fathers, other family members and caregivers and communities to use in changing behaviors and practices that can save and protect the lives of children and help them grow and develop to their full potential.

Facts for Life

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

EC Digital Agenda: Commission signs eHealth agreement with US Department of Health

On the 17th December 2010 Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Washington to promote a common approach on the interoperability of electronic health records and on education programmes for information technology and health professionals.

Common standards and interoperability stand to create huge growth opportunities for the eHealth industry as well as having a positive impact on the safety and quality of care. A skilled health IT workforce is necessary to make the benefits of eHealth services available to patients. This agreement aims to boost the potential of the eHealth market for EU companies wishing to do business in the US and vice versa.

Promoting the use of eHealth technologies, with a view to improving the quality of health care, reducing medical costs and fostering independent living, including in remote places, is key objective of the Digital Agenda for Europe.

Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda, said: "Nothing makes more of a difference to people's lives than good health. I warmly welcome today's agreement. It is an excellent basis for the Commission and the US authorities to expand our cooperation on promoting the overall benefits of eHealth for patients, health systems and companies."

During her visit to the Transatlantic Economic Council in Washington today (see IP/10/1712), Neelie Kroes and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sibelius signed the eHealth Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperation on eHealth between the European Commission and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The aim of the Memorandum of Understanding is to create new markets and growth opportunities for industry in the eHealth sector in both the EU and the US.

The ICT sector drives 50% of productivity growth in the EU and eHealth has a great potential for market growth. It can stimulate innovation in healthcare systems and traditionally strong healthcare industries such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The take up in the US of electronic health records outside hospitals is four times lower than in Europe. In the coming years, the US will invest around $20 billion in deploying interoperable health records to physicians. This could have a positive impact on procurement for European companies in the US as well as boosting the Single Market for eHealth in the EU. This will give patients better health and quality of life and improve the existing infrastructure of health care systems.

The Memorandum stresses the need for a joint vision on internationally recognised and utilised interoperability standards for electronic health record systems and increased competences and mobility of IT professionals.

Such common standards are important to achieve widespread interoperable eHealth services so that eHealth can reach its full global market potential.

Potential activities foreseen within the framework of the Memorandum include the following: exchanges of information on ongoing activities that are carried out directly by the Commission and HHS, and that are relevant to the promotion of eHealth exchanges of delegations and specialists, selected with the endorsement of the Commission and HHS, for example in the framework of the Commission’s eHealth Governance Initiative establishment of joint working groups to identify specific strategies for achieving shared goals, and collaboratively organised meetings, scientific conferences, workshops and/or symposia.

The partnership between the EU and the US, the two world leaders in eHealth, sends a strong signal to all stakeholders that common standards and interoperability bring opportunities for a global approach for the benefit of patients, health systems and the market.

Background

The Transatlantic Economic Council is a political body that oversees and accelerates government-to-government cooperation to advance economic integration between the EU and the US. Main issues at this year's conference include the signing of the Memorandum on eHealth, discussing possibilities to stimulate more cooperation on research and identifying how synergies could be created between the Digital Agenda for Europe and US policies in this field.

Source

Structura reţelei de spitale publice din Moldova nu contribuie la utilizarea eficientă a banilor alocaţi

Organizaţiile neguvernamentale din domeniul sănătăţii s-au aşteptat ca în acest an să se producă mai multe reforme în domeniu. „În Republica Moldova există premise favorabile pentru consolidarea sistemului de sănătate. Este adoptată Politică Naţională de Sănătate şi Strategia de dezvoltare a sistemului sănătăţii, documente susţinute de partenerii internaţionali de dezvoltare, inclusiv prin asistenţă financiară substanţială”, a declarat la o dezbatere a Consiliului ONG-urilor din Moldova directorul Centrului pentru Politici şi Analize în Sănătate (Centrul PAS), Viorel Soltan, citat de Info-Prim Neo.

Viorel Soltan a menţionat eficienţa redusă a surselor financiare alocate sectorului sănătăţii, în special din cauza structurii iraţionale a reţelei de spitale publice. Problemele eficienţei scăzute sunt cauzate de asigurarea iraţională cu paturi de spital a pacienţilor, dublarea de servicii şi lipsa autonomiei decizionale a managerilor de spitale în gestionarea resurselor.

În spitalele din municipiul Chişinău există cea mai mare dublare de servicii şi o capacitate excesivă de paturi (cca. 53% din toate paturile spitaliceşti din republică). Doar un singur exemplu: Institutul Oncologic din capitală, proiectat cândva pentru toată Uniunea Sovietică, are o capacitate de internare de 1250 de locuri. Necesităţile sunt însă mult mai mici. „Ei spitalizează pacienţi care ar putea fi trataţi în ambulator sau în spitalele din regiune, deoarece vor să obţină mai multe surse de la Compania Naţională de Asigurări în Medicină. În anul 2010, fondurile asigurării obligatorii de asistenţă medicală administrate de Companie au constituit circa 215 milioane de euro”, a menţionat Viorel Soltan.

Potrivit directorului Centrului PAS, în alte ţări sistemele de sănătate au la bază asistenţa medicală primară, care este mai cost-eficientă. La noi se întâmplă invers. Spitalele consumă 51% din sursele fondului pentru achitarea serviciilor medicale curente în sistemul asigurării obligatorii de asistenţă medicală, iar de serviciile acestora beneficiază 10-15% din populaţie.

„În Republica Moldova este necesar de implementat politici care să asigure că aranjamentele de finanţare oferă motivaţii managerilor instituţiilor medicale pentru organizarea şi furnizarea eficientă a serviciilor medicale. Resursele de finanţare pentru prestatorii de servicii medicale trebuie să fie alocate în baza performanţelor acestora şi necesităţilor populaţiei. Trebuie să fie promovată responsabilitatea şi transparenţa în utilizarea surselor financiare pentru sănătate ”, a spus Viorel Soltan.

Referindu-se la corupţia din sistem, Viorel Soltan a spus că de vină este managerul instituţiei medicale, pentru că acesta poate micşora percepţia corupţiei, dar nu doreşte. „Republica Moldova, dacă vrea să se alinieze la standarde europene trebuie să promoveze valorile comune de solidaritate, echitate şi participare a cetăţenilor în luarea deciziilor despre sănătate”, a conchis directorul Centrului PAS.

http://info-prim.md