National Health Information System for Barbados

The Ministry of Health is working towards a paperless environment.

 

Yesterday, Health Minister John Boyce revealed plans for the implementation of a National Health Information System, which will give gives doctors, nurses and other authorized medical personnel in the public health system easy access to the medical data of patients.

 

All institutions throughout the Ministry will benefit, and the Minister also envisions private sector doctors interfacing with the system.

 

“We want to give notice that we will be encouraging and working with the private sector health delivery systems, to include their information within the general health information system for Barbados,” he disclosed.

 

“We want that our patients can move seamlessly across the private/public sector, obtain their healthcare and be assured that their records are immediately accessible”.

 

Boyce, who was at the time addressing a ceremony for the workers of the Psychiatric Hospital who completed various First Aid courses, observed that there are some Barbadians who are still very reluctant to embrace such technology.

 

He stressed that the electronic environment will be even safer for the keeping of records. However, pointed out, “There will be errors occasionally, and we hope to be able to say to Barbadians that we minimize or eliminate these errors, but at the same time we would obviously expect that these challenges when they do arise, that we will be able to take care of them”.

 

The Health Minister also revealed that the Psychiatric Hospital continues to review its services in collaboration with other governmental agencies and NGOs to ensure that the needs of the country are met. To this end, Boyce highlighted that plans have been developed to improve Child and Adolescence services, Forensic care and General Medical services.

 

“Our Child and Adolescent Unit is a programme being undertaken and funded through the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust…I hope that our team at the Psychiatric Hospital; the Ministry of Health can help to remove some of the bureaucracy I saw referred to in the media, so that the project can move ahead smoothly and we can look forward to an early completion of the Unit at the grounds of the Psychiatric Hospital,” he added. (TL)