Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service I (Projects aiming to improve efficiency and effectiveness of care delivery to meet international standards)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Clinical Safety and Quality Service III (Projects aiming at quality service to patients and their carers)
Authors (including presenting author) :
WONG LMK(1), YEUNG CYB(1), TSE TM(1), LAM KY(1), KU PS(1), PANG JYW(1), CHEUNG NT(1), HUI HL(1), POON CM(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Information Technology and Health Informatics Division, Hospital Authority Head Office
Introduction :
Electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most common, simplest and fastest tests used to evaluate the heart condition via recording the electrical activity of the heart. Certain life-threatening conditions including coronary heart disease and abnormal heart rhythms could be diagnosed by this simple test. Timely clinical review of ECG and comparison of old ECGs are crucial for making diagnosis and treatment. In HA, most ECG record is stored in paper form, while manual scanning of paper ECG records is adopted in a few settings, such as A&E department, to facilitate subsequent clinical review. The large variety of brands and models of ECG machines being used in various clinical settings in HA is the biggest challenge for digitalization and its integration with CMS. With the technology maturity, the introduction of “Paperless ECG”, healthcare professionals can now seamlessly capture, store and review ECG records electronically which significantly improve patient care efficiency.
Objectives :
1. To improve patient care by allowing sharing of ECG images via CMS and ePR 2. To streamline clinical workflow by automate the ECG records upload electronically in real-time into CMS 3. To improve clinical documentation and data quality by storing ECG records automatically with the selected episode
Methodology :
1. The ECG PDF receiver-equipped CMS workstations/tablets were setup in selected A&E, Ward and OPC areas. This equipped workstation/tablet is directly Ethernet connected to ECG machine, allowing it to capture the PDF image and secure the right patient is under investigation. 2. Patient demographic data was integrated into the captured ECG PDF for future reference in ePR and CMS 3. Technology involved: WebSocket (Daemon), private cloud, HA intranet WiFi, FTP/SFTP protocol, barcode scanner, CMS workstation/tablet
Result & Outcome :
Pilot was carried out in 5 departments (QEH-OPD and ward; TKO ward; TSWH AED and QMH ward) since March 2023, a total of 9387 ECG images were successfully uploaded via this solution to CMS. Three ECG models were used in the pilot. 70% of users provided supportive and positive feedback on the overall pilot which support further pilot in bigger scale. The need on notification and further integration were collected and under further technical study to better the solution. Through increased efficiency and integration with CMS, paperless ECG offers tremendous potential to improve clinical care and especially cardiac care in HA.
