Caring for patients with CARE 21
AT Columbia Asia, it doesn’t take more than five minutes for you to register and move on to the outpatient clinic. After your consultation, it will only take another few minutes to pick up your medication at the pharmacy and pay the bill.
With Columbia Asia’s Hospital Information System, patient registration is a simple process as patient details are easily recorded with a swipe of the Mykad. This method also reduces date error and allows easy follow-ups as information can be easily retrieved from the system.
The company took 12 years to build an operating system known as CARE 21. The system was developed in-house based on teamwork involving many members of the staff. All information used to build this system is based on the knowledge contributed by its doctors, nurses, pharmacists, IT personnel and accountants. The ultimate goal is to achieve shorter patient waiting time at its hospitals. CARE 21 Implementation of Columbia Asia’s CARE 21, a hospital management information system, with an integrated electronic medical system, is deemed a significant step towards more efficient hospital management. “The main contributor to this paperless process is the patient electronic medical record. Doctors only need to enter their respective password to get patient information. While examining the patient, the doctors enter patient information such as diagnosis, treatment and progress notes in the computer,” explained Columbia Asia senior manager of corporate communications Nur Saidah Said.
“Doctors can also order laboratory tests, X-ray scans and prescription drugs online. This system significantly reduces paper consumption and the staffing support required to facilitate the logistics of executing each request,” she added.
There are several plasma screens in the waiting area and Columbia Café featuring the registration number of patients, which is monitored by nurses and doctors. This enables patients to estimate their turn to see a doctor and if there is still a long queue ahead, they can take a break at the café while waiting.
According to Nur Saidah, this hospital management information system provides information related to diagnostic, health screening reports, medical history, laboratory tests and X-ray results to other departments at the hospitals. The system is dynamic enough to the extent it could even document and file patient data and retrieves it for future usage.
This patient-centric CARE 21 system comprises various aspects of hospital administration and management processes.
Some of the features available are appointment scheduling, registration, order entry, cash registers, hospital discharge authorisation, payment of bills, inventories, reports and discharge summary. It also allows relevant departments within the hospital to search patient information via various methods, such as demographic information, hospital visits, history of treatment, payment information, prescription of drugs, medical reports and others.
”To ensure the successful implementation of this system, the hospital staff, doctors and nurses are required to undergo basic training on how to use the system effectively,” said Nur Saidah.
Doctors are required to write their reports immediately, preventing e-filing from being delayed or deferred. “This window-based user-friendly software has helped to accelerate the training process and has made it easy for everybody to use,” added Nur Saidah.
The newest version of CARE 21 system is now used in all new Columbia Asia hospitals and has dramatically improved patient management processes. Existing patient records can be extracted effortlessly within three minutes using this system. About Columbia Asia Columbia Asia set up its first hospital in 1998 with Malaysia as the headquarters of the company’s Asian operations.
The thriving middle-income segment of society has significantly increased the need for modern yet affordably priced private healthcare.
Today, Columbia Asia owns and operates 10 hospitals in Malaysia spread across Selangor, Perak, Johor and Sarawak. Eleven other hospitals are in India, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Columbia Asia Sdn Bhd is 30% owned by the Malaysian Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and 70% by a Us-based fund, the International Columbia USA LLC (ICU), which comprises over 150 individual and institutional investors.
Columbia Asia operates hospitals built for 21st century healthcare, with emphasis on modern medical protocols, advanced medical technologies, and managed by experienced and well-trained personnel. The hospitals are specifically designed for the needs of patients and built for maximum comfort and efficiency.
A transparent rate structure for medical procedures allows patients to know in advance how much their care will cost.
Columbia Asia Hospitals will be participating in The Star Health Fair, April 6-8 at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Visit its booths at Hall 1, booths no A023, A024, A026 and A027.