Critical Analysis of Patient Care Information Systems in Australia

This essay provides a critical analysis of patient care information systems (PCIS) in Australia, examining their current state, challenges, and potential future directions. It delves into the components of PCIS, including clinical services, support services, and patient management systems. The essay explores national e-health strategies, such as the Open Architecture Clinical Information System (OACIS) and the Clinical Reporting Repository (CRR), and compares them with the e-health strategies of the U.S.A. The advantages of e-health strategies globally are discussed, along with the disadvantages and challenges faced by PCIS. The analysis covers the importance of patient records in diagnosis, treatment, and research, and also highlights the role of telemedicine and digital records in emergency situations. The essay concludes with suggestions for improving PCIS and emphasizes the need for better information and knowledge management in the Australian healthcare system.

Patient care information system in
Australia

1
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Patient care information system in Australia.............................................................................2
National e-health strategies of Australia................................................................................3
Comparison of e-health strategies of Australia and U.S.A....................................................5
Advantages of e-health strategies across the world...............................................................6
Disadvantages of Patient care information system and e-health services:.............................7
Challenges for Patient care information system.....................................................................8
Suggestions for improvement in Patient care information system.........................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References................................................................................................................................10

2
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
Introduction
Patient care information system refers to a set of system for the entire patient care services
provided to the patient. It also involved the services related to early detection of disease,
treatment received for the health problem and suggestions for future well-being of the patient.
It facilitates the various important services to the patient by collecting, organising and sharing
the information to the patient and his family members. In this essay an analysis will be done
over the various steps and important characteristics which are the major part of patient care
information system. The focus will be given on the process of patient care system in Australia
and in other countries.
Patient care information system in Australia
Patient care information system in Australia is based upon sharing the complete information
about the status and treatment of the disease with full information about clinical, medicinal
and other facilities provided to the patient. It also involves the cost of treatment and facilities
provided by the hospital management to the patient (Brook, 2019).
PCIS (Patient Care Information System) is a part of HIS (Hospital Information System).
PCIS is divided into three categories:
(a) System for clinical services
It consists of the clinical data about the early symptoms and signs of disease. Then it
inculcates the detail information about the diagnosis and findings done by doctors on the
bases of particular medical tests. After diagnosis, the condition and physical status of the
patient is shared with suggested treatments and its costs. Sometimes, additional services are
required for the complete well-being of the patient. The care plan indulges the additional
requirements of the client by observing the past medical history of the patient. In such type of
cases, the Patient care information system helps the doctors in recognising the actual need of
the patient related to his health. A complete care plan is developed on the bases of the above
information of clinical services. The care plan consists of the following details on the bases of
the Patient’s record system. It is related to the services offered to the patients (CD Mount,
2000).

3
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
(b) System for clinical support services
Clinical support services refer to the services offered to the various patients and to their
family members by the hospital management. It consists of information related to blood bank
of the hospital, food and water supply by hospital management, mother milk bank provided
by the hospital management to newly born children, ventilator services and many other
supportive services for the well-being of the health of the patient (C Dvorak, 2019).
(c) Patient Management System
Patient management system consists of the complete personal information about the client
related to his name, age, personal records, family history and medical record of the client. A
brief record is attached with the patient management system in order to access the
information related to client at any time. It is usually find in digital format and stored inside
the software of the hospital (P Miles, 2019).
National e-health strategies of Australia
Some of the special features of national e-health strategies are as follows which are being
informed to the clients:
(1) The description of suitable treatment related to the disease for example- Surgery,
Medicinal treatment, Chemotherapy and other treatments with cost.
(2) Details of the treatments related to relief from pain and providing comfort to the
patient.
(3) List of the supportive treatments needed by the patient like counselling services,
Psycho treatment and other extra services which runs parallel to the medical treatment
(health, 2012).
(4) Report related to observation and monitoring record of the disease of patient (Dick
RS, 2020)
For example: The patient care system of The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne is as
follows:
The hospital is maintaining computer based patient record which is very useful for knowing
the health status and growth of the children who are treated by the hospital. The primary

4
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
patient record is stored by hospital management in order for future observations and
treatments. Usually the secondary patient record is formed by health care professionals in
order to evaluate and support the patient care services to the patient (Melbourne, 2020).
All these data are gathered, stored and accessed with the help of CRT (Computer Based
Patient Record Technology). The patient’s record stored by CRT is a kind of decision
analysis tools for the health care professionals by having a deep knowledge and
understanding about the background and information about the patient at any time (Rouse,
2020).
The progress and usefulness of Patient care information system in Australia:
Healthcare sector is one of the most crucial sectors for the country because it directly deals
with the health of patients. A suitable and well maintained patient record always help the
health care professionals, patients and their family members in order to assess the health
condition the patient. Properly stored patient’s record also helps in the treatment of other
critical patients by finding trends and research in the field of health care.
Australian government is offering many digital and computer based services in order to
ensure about the progress of patient information system of the country. Some of the programs
and services are:
(a) OACIS (The open Architecture Clinical Information System):
OACIS collects the data from different health care sectors of country and then transport it in
one central recording system. It transports the information to various laboratories, health care
professionals, pharmacists and other important health care sectors of the country. Patient can
even save their record by themselves in order to help in receiving better and quick medical
facilities in future. It applied over the eight major metropolitan hospitals of Australia (CD
Mount, 2000).
(b) The general practice computing group( GPCG):
It converted the data from OACSIS and sends it to the required sectors of the country in order
to improve the medical facilities of the country. It helps in improving the ICT (Information
and communication technology) of the country. It converted the data from OACSIS to
GEHR (Good electronic health record) (D Pelletier, 2002).

5
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
(c) Clinical Reporting Repository(CRR):
It holds the clinical data throughout the country. It helps in secondary research in health care
sector. It also helps in analysis of various case studies of patients related to crucial diseases
and their treatments (CDAJ Holman, 2008).
(d) Australian national data services(ANDS):
Its major objective is to make the data of the country more valuable and accessible to the
researchers of the country. It manages the data in an efficient manner with the help of some
partners and ensure about the proper use of the data. It ensure about the authenticity and
accessibility of the data of the country related to various sectors including health care sector
(Services, 2020).
Comparison of e-health strategies of Australia and U.S.A.
Both the countries have the efficient information system of patient care to manage and store
the medical and personal history of the patient. But the government of U.S. makes it
mandatory to store the data in electronic form with necessary details by each and every health
care sector of the country (ONC, 2020). This is mandatory for both public and private
hospitals to store the electronic record of the patient (Richard Whiddett, 2006).
U.S.A. maintained the Patient care information system with the help of the following
authorities:
(a) MPI (Master patient Ind0ex):
The major aim of MPI is to connect the patient records from more than one database. It
makes an index of all the records of one patient. The major aim of MPI is to reduce the
duplicity in data of various patients (DA Ludwick, 2009).
(b) Remote patient monitoring (RPM):
This service is also referred as Tele-medical-health services. It allows quick access of the
data of patients from one place to another place with medical sensors. It transmits the data of
patients to health care professionals. The electronic data and history of the patient helps in the
treatments related to emergency cases. It basically helps in dealing with chronicle illness of
the patients like diabetes, cardiac issues, blood pressure and sugar related issues (Christopher
Pearce, 2014).

6
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
(c) Clinical Decision Support (CDS):
The major function of CDS is to analyse the data of the patients. It helps the health care
professionals in making informed clinical decisions (council, 2020). The human rights acts
also stated that a patient has full right to receive the complete information about his
treatment. The CDS helps and protect the doctors by making it ensure about the informed
medical decisions (Kolachalam, 2020).
(d) Practise management software(PMS):
It helps the doctors and health care professionals in dealing with various operations related to
health care services like billing, scheduling and costing of the services given to the patient by
the hospitals and health care sectors.
On the bases of the above analysis, it is quite clear that the Patient care information system of
Australia need a little bit improvement as comparative to the efficiency of the Patient’s health
care information system of USA (MAB Makeham, 2019).
Advantages of e-health strategies across the world:
The Patient information system is highly useful for the health care professionals. It helps the
doctors in diagnose and identify the accurate disease and health problem of the patient. By
analysing the personal data of the patient, a doctor can assess the physical and mental
condition of the patient. The record and history of patient will not only help in exact required
treatment but also it is highly useful for the research of the critical diseases (Nir Menachemi,
2020).
Telemedicine and Tele-health services are offered by WHO to reduce the barrier of distances.
It offers the medicines after consulting with doctors and health care professionals for the
quick and efficient well-being of a person. It offers various e-health services like: remote
patient monitoring and specialist referral services for the sound health of patients throughout
the world (WHO, Telemedicine, Telehealth, and Health Information Technology, 2020).
The applied medical services and its impact can be observed and analysed by the doctor with
the help of EMR (Electronic medical record) maintained by various authorities and
hospitals. The patients sometimes has a chronic and critical medical history, especially the
person who is above fifty years has to maintain his medical record to ensure about receiving
better medical facilities (WHO, 2020).

7
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
Despite of having latest technologies in medical science, some of the diseases are still
incurable or very difficult to treat. In these types of diseases, the medical history of the
patient has to be analysed seriously. For example: While dealing with cancer patient, the
observation of medical history of the patient is mandatory because the treatment adopted by
cancer is different with respect to different stages of cancer (CDAJ Holman, 2008).
While dealing with emergency cases like cardiac diseases, the medical history of the patients
is very important. The treatment is also based upon the previous treatment given by the
doctors. In chronic diseases like blood pressure is extremely related to the record of the
patient (CDAJ Holman, 2008).
The digital record of the patient is very useful in accidental cases. For example: If a patient
required blood due to accidental case, the record of the patient is useful for health care
professionals for allotment of correct blood group to the patient. The Patient care information
system always includes the blood group of the patient in his medical history (CDAJ Holman,
2008).
The patient information system helps the patient by providing him every minute detail of the
treatments and services given by doctors to him. It also helps the family members of the
patient in understanding the health status of the person. It also helps in assessing the expenses
on treatments and other supportive services (CDAJ Holman, 2008).
Disadvantages of Patient care information system and e-health services:
The major disadvantage of Patient care information system is to be treated by the doctors on
the bases of its history without analysing the current symptoms of the disease. The duplicity
and redundancy with the data may be possible and there are some chances exists that patient
may be mistreated by doctors (Bhatt, 2019).
A lot of cost has to be invested in properly maintaining the information system of the records
of patients. The staffs need to be trained in order to fulfill the details of the record of the
patient. The health care sectors need to invest on regular bases for ensuring the proper
functioning of the system (Frith, 2019).
According to a study conducted in 2002 in US for 280 bed-acute care hospitals, the total cost
for installing the EHR installation of patients in 7 years was around US$19 million that is too
high in comparison of maintaining the record of patient’s history on papers. The cost of

8
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
purchasing and maintaining of hardware devices are also in significant amount. Still the use
of digital record of the history of patients is proved very beneficial for health care
professionals and doctors (Nir Menachemi, 2020).
Challenges for Patient care information system
The major challenges in the proper functioning of Patient care information system are to
maintain the accuracy of the data of the record. Entering the correct information in the record
is the initial stage of the information system. Security of the data is also the major concern for
the IT department of the hospitals. Access of confidential information about the patient by
unauthorised source is one of the major threats for the patient (Suvini P. Amaraweera, 2019).
The complexity of the system makes it very difficult for use for a common person.
Sometimes the complex features of the information system make it very difficult for access
the data of the patient who is receiving treatment in another place inside or outside the
country. The very tough and problematic access of the information makes the system less
attractive by patients and their family members. However it is highly useful for the health
care professionals (Nir Menachemi, 2020).
Suggestions for improvement in Patient care information system
With the help of reducing the complex structure of information system of patient’s record, the
persons may have an easy access for the information related to patient. The security related to
data must be ensuring by the IT department of the hospitals. People and staff should be
educated and trained with respect to the use of electronic equipment related to maintaining
the record of patient’s history. Moreover with the help of efficient and systematic use of
Patient care information system, the patients and health care professionals both may receive
the benefits (Dick RS, 2020).
Conclusion
The Patient care information system is very useful for the suitable treatment of the patient by
doctors. It helps the patients and his family members by providing them brief information
about the health status of the patient including the type and expenditure of the treatment
including all supportive services given by the hospitals.

9
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
On the bases of the comparison of Patient care information system of Australia and USA, it
can be concluded that the information system of Australia may add some special features to
its communication technology related to health care sectors for quick and easy access of the
data of patient’s records. The health care system of Australia is doing well with the help of
efficient users of information system. It also protects the rights of the patient. WHO is also
provided e-health services to the various patients throughout the world. Although, the
information system is dealing with certain challenges but by improving some features of
Patient care information system, the country can overcome from the challenges.

10
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
References
Bhatt, N. (2019). Big Data, Privacy, and Healthcare. IGI Global, 1-14.
Brook, C. (2019, October 24). What is a Health Information System? Retrieved from The
website of Digital Gaurdian: https://digitalguardian.com/blog/what-health-
information-system
C Dvorak, K. S. (2019). Healthcare information system with clinical information exchange.
US Patent App.
CD Mount, C. K. (2000). An integrated electronic health record and information system for
Australia? The medical Journal of Australia, 25-27.
CDAJ Holman, J. B. (2008). A decade of data linkage in Western Australia: strategic design,
applications and benefits of the WA data linkage system. Australian health review,
766-777.
Christopher Pearce, M. B. (2014). A personally controlled electronic health record for
Australia . Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 707-713.
council, A. h. (2020, January 11). National e-helath strategy. Retrieved from The official
website of AHMC:
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/69B9E01747B836D
CCA257BF0001DC5CC/$File/Summary%20National%20E-Health%20Strategy
%20final.pdf
D Pelletier, C. D. (2002). TheComplexities of documenting clinical information in long-term
care settings in Australia. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 8-9.

11
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
DA Ludwick, J. D. (2009). Adopting electronic medical records in primary care: lessons
learned from health information systems implementation experience in seven
countries. International journal of medical informatics, 22-31.
Dick RS, S. E. (2020, January 7). The Computer-Based Patient Record: Revised Edition: An
Essential Technology for Health Care. Retrieved from The website of NCBI:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233053/
Frith, K. (2019). Data Breaches in Health Care: Preparing Students to Avoid Unsafe
Practices. Nursing education perspectives, 388-389.
health, A. d. (2012, September 26). National E-Health Strategy. Retrieved from The official
website of Australian department of health:
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/National
%20Ehealth%20Strategy
Kolachalam, S. (2020, January 7). Progress of e-Health in Australia: OACIS (The Open
Architecture Clinical Information System). Retrieved from The website of research
gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319489696_Progress_of_e-
Health_in_Australia_OACIS_The_Open_Architecture_Clinical_Information_System
MAB Makeham, A. R. (2019). Sharing information safely and securely: the foundation of a
modern health care system. The Medical journal of Australia, 3-4.
Melbourne, T. R. (2020, January 7). A great children hospital leading the way. Retrieved
from The official website of' The Royal Children's hospital mellbourne':
https://www.rch.org.au/rch/patients-families/
Nir Menachemi, T. H. (2020, January 7). Benefits and drawbacks of electronic health record
systems. Retrieved from The website of NCBI:

12
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3270933/
ONC. (2020, January 11). Federal Health Information Technolofy Strategic Plan. Retrieved
from The website of the office of the National co-ordinator for health information
technology: https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/utility/final-federal-health-it-
strategic-plan-0911.pdf
P Miles, A. H. (2019). Towards routine use of national electronic health records in Australian
emergency departments. The medical journal of Australia, 7-9.
Richard Whiddett, I. H. (2006). Patients' attitudes towards sharing their health information.
International Journal of Medical Informatics, 530-541.
Rouse, M. (2020, January 7). Health IT (health information technology). Retrieved from
Website of search health IT: https://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/Health-
IT-information-technology
Services, A. N. (2020, January 7). The Australian National Data Service (ANDS) makes
Australia’s research data assets more valuable for researchers, research institutions
and the nation. Retrieved from The official website of ANDS:
https://www.ands.org.au/about-us/what-we-do
Suvini P. Amaraweera, M. N. (2019). Internet of Things in the Healthcare Sector: Overview
of Security and Privacy Issues. Security, Privacy and Trust in the IoT Environment,
153-179.
WHO. (2020, January 11). Global observatory for e-health. Retrieved from The official
website of WHO: https://www.who.int/goe/policies/countries/usa/en/

13
PATIENT CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
WHO. (2020, January 11). Telemedicine, Telehealth, and Health Information Technology.
Retrieved from The official website of WHO:
https://www.who.int/goe/policies/countries/usa_support_tele.pdf?ua=1