Review urges changes to Nanaimo hospital records system

An external review has found problems with new electronic health records at the hospital in Nanaimo, B.C., but it recommends fixing the system, rather than scrapping it.

Medical staff at Nanaimo General Hospital raised concerns that the IHealth system introduced in the spring created delays in patient care and was prone to errors on medication orders. 

• Nanaimo hospital doctors speak out against electronic health record glitches
• B.C. to conduct review of IHealth system at Nanaimo General Hospital

In the review released Thursday, provincial patient safety and quality officer Dr. Doug Cochrane agreed with those concerns. 

Cochrane was tasked to review IHealth by B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake in July. In his report, he noted the system reduces productivity and needs improvement in managing complex care.

His 26 recommendations include improving the system for managing medication orders and dosages and ensuring patients' test results and reports go to the right health providers.

Cochrane also recommended creating an oversight committee that includes medical staff representatives.

Still, in an interview Cochrane said, "For certain kinds of activity, this system works really well."

Dr. David Forrest, the is president of the medical staff association at the hospital, praised Cochrane's report for thoroughness and "wise advice."

"We were grateful to see the concerns that had been raised by both medical and other staff validated in this report," Forrest said. 

However, he said it remains to be seen whether it's even possible for the computer system to safely and effectively handle functions such as medication orders.  

'Tremendous strain' on staff

The Vancouver Island Health Authority's president and CEO Dr. Brendan Carr acknowledged the introduction of the new records system, "placed tremendous strain on people in what is already a very challenging work environment."

"There are some very important learnings for us here," Carr said.

"I think we confused the concerns our medical staff brought forward as being problems with their understanding of the tools," he said.

"What they were saying to us is that 'we understand the tool, and we're having concerns with whether or not the tool is actually designed to support the work as we do it.'"

Carr says Island Health will carry out Cochrane's recommendations, and he believes "absolutely" that the problems with the IHealth system can be resolved.

He adds, the health authority still plans to roll the system out at all Vancouver Island hospitals.

With files from Megan Thomas.