Digital Health News: October 2024

An Electronic Medical Record (EMR) code upgrade is scheduled between 8:00 PM on Wednesday, 6th November to 5:00 AM on Thursday, 7th November 2024. This essential upgrade will ensure Western Health’s EMR system remains secure, reliable and up to date. 

Although there’s no planned downtime to the EMR, integration between the EMR and downstream systems will be interrupted for one hour and fifteen minutes during the upgrade (starting at 11.15 PM). Visit the Digital Health site for more details on how this may affect you and any required actions. 

After the upgrade, there will be no major changes to the look or functionality of the EMR. You can watch a short two-minute video to learn about the minor changes and enhancements, along with a one-page summary on the here.  

As a reminder, we encourage all staff to keep their knowledge of EMR Downtime Procedures current.  You can refresh your understanding by completing the 10-minute WeLearn online lesson – search ‘EMR Downtime Procedures’.  

For any questions about the code upgrade, please contact Andrew May, Digital Health Operations Manager, at Andrew.May@wh.org.au. 

We’re just 25 days away from the Go-Live of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and other digital applications at Bacchus Marsh and Melton (BMM), and Caroline Springs! The excitement is building as we approach this significant milestone in enhancing patient care.  

The Digital Health team is working closely with BMM managers to ensure a smooth transition.  So far, 65% of tasks on the Divisional Go-Live Readiness Tracker are complete, and 79% of staff have completed their EMR training.   Integration testing and the Technical Dress Rehearsal are also progressing well. 

To ensure that staff are well supported, a change adoption survey has been sent out this week to help assess our readiness, highlight strengths and identify areas for additional support.  A follow-up survey will also be conducted post Go-Live, to track progress and guide our progress and adaptation to the new systems.  

We’re keeping everyone informed with weekly project updates, manager and staff sessions, and Key Message campaigns tailored to each craft group. If you missed out on attending a recent information session, you can find a recording of the virtual session on the Bacchus Marsh and Melton Digital Health Transition page. 

With 100+ Super Users ready to provide hands-on support to local teams, we’re confident in a successful transition. 

Over the next week, EMR Downtime Kits will be delivered that are complemented by EMR Downtime Procedures and Downtime Action Cards, which are available on the EMR Downtime Procedures page. 

A variety of helpful resources, such as What Goes Where and Quick Reference Guides, are available to help BMM staff familiarise themselves with the changes ahead. Don’t forget to check-out the self-care tip sheet for help on managing the transition smoothly. 

We’re counting down together! If you need support or more information about the project, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Digital Health project team.  

Western Health’s transition to HealthLink as the sole Secure Messaging Delivery (SMD) provider for clinical documentation is progressing smoothly, with a major milestone achieved on 15 October. Our goal is to complete the transition as quickly as possible, ensuring all clinical information is accessible electronically through HealthLink.  

Since 15 October, Western Health has been sending over 5,000 clinical documents daily to General Practices and clinicians via HealthLink. These include: 

• Clinician letters 

• Cancer multi-disciplinary meeting notes 

• Inpatient and emergency discharge summaries 

• Pharmacy Discharge Medication lists 

• Referral encounters and outcomes 

• Outpatient appointments 

• Inpatient admissions and discharges 

• Death notifications for inpatients and emergency departments 

HealthLink has proven to be a reliable and efficient platform. Given the recent issues with PulseNet, we’ve prioritised HealthLink’s rollout to ensure a smoother, more dependable experience. 

Starting Thursday, 31 October, we will stop sending the above documents through PulseNet.  

Documents, such as mother/baby discharge summaries, endoscopy reports and cardiology investigations, will continue to be sent via PulseNet until they transition to HealthLink by early 2025. 

Supporting GPs and Practice Managers  

Our current focus is on supporting our GP Integration Unit (GPIU) and Medical Records teams through the transition to HealthLink. 

The GPIU has launched a dedicated Transition to HealthLink Improvement Project, with Support Officers reaching out to GP clinics to help them. As the phased transition is well underway, all GPs and/or Practice managers are being reminded through various channels to keep their National Health Services Directory (NHSD) and HealthLink Directory listings updated. For more details on our communications with GPs, visit the Western Health website.  

Any queries from GPs or Practice Managers should be directed to the GPIU at gp@wh.org.au or 8345 1735. 

Looking Ahead: External Referrals 

Digital Health is committed to working with teams across Western Health to implement digital referrals to Western Health’s outpatient services and clinics, with the initial evaluation process underway.  We will provide more updates once HealthLink is fully implemented for clinical correspondence. 

We are thrilled to share that Western Health has won the Public Sector: Digital Transformation Team of the Year at the Women In Digital awards! This achievement celebrates the significant impact of our Electronic Medical Records (EMR) project in advancing digital health, enhancing patient care and boosting operational efficiency.

Since the initial EMR rollout in 2018, we have integrated over 25 systems and digitised hundreds of processes to: 

• Improve patient safety 

• Streamline clinical decision-making 

• Consolidate data workflows 

• Reduce operational costs. 

This award reinforces Western Health’s commitment to delivering impactful digital solutions in a complex and regulated environment. It’s also the second acknowledgement of our EMR system, recently honoured as the ICT Initiative of the Year (Australia) at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2024.

This success reflects the dedication of all Western Health staff in advancing our digital health journey, to enhance patient care. As we approach the Go-Live with the EMR and other digital health systems at Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Caroline Springs in November, we’re building a more connected healthcare experience across all our sites.

On behalf of the Digital Health team, we extend a big thank you to all Western Health staff for your hard work and commitment. Together we’re creating a more efficient, impactful healthcare experience for our community! 

Western Health is partnering with Oracle Health to launch Western Health Care Connect (WHCC). It will offer clinicians and healthcare providers a comprehensive view of patient information.   

WHCC will bring together clinical data from different sources to make it easier to coordinate care, support better decisions, and improve patient outcomes. 

The project is in its early stages and will be rolled out in three phases. The first phase, a technical Go-Live scheduled for later this year, will enable data to flow from Western Health’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to an integrated page and web portal integrated with OKTA. 

In early 2025, the second phase will begin, giving Western Health’s clinical teams and selected external health providers access. A clinical reference group, made up of Western Health clinicians and external care teams, will be set up in the coming months to provide essential guidance for this stage. 

We look forward to providing further updates as this exciting initiative progresses.   

The Digital Health team is actively working with providers and other Western Health teams to integrate Digital Health applications into the New Footscray Hospital (NFH) environment. As we prepare for key EMR workflow analysis and upcoming testing phases, our team is growing, with recruitment underway for critical roles to support these efforts.  

We are also progressing work on the Monash and Alfred Shared Pathology Laboratory Information System (LIS). Once connected to the Western Health Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, clinicians will be able to seamlessly order tests and review results at NFH. For more details, check out the recent Operations Bulletin on the intranet about the pathology service transition.  

Integration and workflow mapping is also underway for the Automated Dispensing Solution – a computer –based system for the storage and dispensing of medication within NFH.  

Learn more about NFH 

In this month’s CEO webinar, CEO, Russell Harrison was joined by NFH Project Director, Sara Simmons and Divisional Director, NFH Operations Readiness, Kate Cranwell to discuss the New Footscray Hospital.  The update includes insights into the construction progress, operational readiness, and what it will be like to work in the new hospital.  

For more information about the NFH project, visit the dedicated site on Western Health’s intranet.