Sudi Narasimhan, Sudi Narasimhan, Corporate Director of Marketing and Business Development at Bumrungrad International Hospital (Thailand), reveals to H & TI ambitions of the organization, which announced in 2016 a partnership with InterSystems to implement:
– the InterSystemsTrakCare unified healthcare information system;
– and the HealthShare Health Connect interoperability solution.
« The announcement to implement TrakCare is part of a larger effort in re-building all of our Information Technology Systems from the ground up to have full digital integration in combination with having the capacity, speed, reliability and security to handle the increased levels of patient data and information that will be generated in the coming years. »
Bumrungrad: a world-renowned hospital
Based in Bangkok, Thailand, Bumrungrad International Hospital is a JCI accredited, multi-specialty hospital.
Founded in 1980, it is one of the largest private hospitals in Southeast Asia. Bumrungrad offers state-of-the-art diagnostics but also high-quality therapeutic and intensive care through the use of advanced technologies.
Key figures on the hospital:
- Over 1.1 million patients treated each year, with over 520,000 of these patients coming from more than 190 countries worldwide;
- 580 beds;
- Over 30 specialty centers;
- Over 4,800 employees, including over 1,300 physicians and dentists.
The hospital didn’t want to share information on its annual budget and on the budgetary envelope allocated to the development of digital in its centers.
Bumrungrad is one of the first hospitals in Asia to invest in digital healthcare
Why have you decided to adopt TrakCare and HealthShare Health Connect solutions?
Bumrungrad International Hospital is one of the largest private tertiary healthcare providers in Asia, treating 1.1 million patients annually with approximately half coming from nearly 200 countries each year. We have been using digital systems such as electronic medical records and a PACS for over a decade.
The announcement to implement TrakCare is part of a larger effort in re-building all of our Information Technology Systems from the ground up to have full digital integration in combination with having the capacity, speed, reliability and security to handle the increased levels of patient data and information that will be generated in the coming years.
The full integration and inter-connectivity of the TrakCare Health Information System to the other platforms in the hospital will improve our efficiency, patient safety & quality, service levels and this will further strengthen the patient experience at Bumrungrad.
TrakCare will provide a web-based, secure electronic medical record (EMR). To develop this device, have you been a bit inspired by existing systems in other countries, like Singapore, one of the first countries in Asia to have develop an EMR?
Actually, we were one of the first hospitals to develop an EMR. This EMR has worked well for us over the years but we have decided to implement a new system that has strong interoperability and full integration with other digital systems. So it was a matter of choosing the best provider to meet our needs for the present and in the years to come.
What aspects of your devices would you maybe like to change to improve your services?
We are already proposing improvements to our current services. Once the new systems are in place, clinicians and patients will continue to expect this level of support.
For example, digital platforms in the hospital will be securely shared with clinicians so that there is more automation in administrative work so clinicians can spend more time with patients.
Patients too will be able to access their medical records at their convenience using a secure app or website.
Do you already know if you are going to develop other high tech products in your hospital, in addition to TrakeCare and HealthShare Health Connect?
These platforms interoperability will help us as we roll out other products that will increase the convenience to patients. For example we are connecting with patients as they log into our broadband Wi-Fi network and anticipating their needs and questions as they go through a hospital visit. We will be able to interact with patients in real time as they are moving through the facility going through the process.
We have taken a broad approach to our systems and to ensure that this improving the outcomes and experience for the patient as well our clinicians, and that provides the impetus for deploying the most appropriate systems and technologies.
What is your data privacy policy?
We take patient privacy extremely seriously as we do with patient safety and quality. Patient data is never released without the consent of the patient and physicians are bound by patient confidentiality. We have built up a strong reputation and trust from our patients and this is very important to us. Our network contains many levels of security to ensure the privacy of patient health data.
« Clinicians can work with complete patient records and consistent workflows, at any point of care, on any Internet-connected device, » said Kerry Stratton, InterSystems Managing Director, Asia-Pacific (Enterpriseinnovation.net). Does the system allow any clinician to access at any time to any data?
Access to patient data is limited to the appropriate clinicians who are caring for the patient. This took place also when there were paper based records, with the appropriate physicians consulting the patient chart when doing rounds.
This new systems increases the level of secure communications to physicians so they are able to access critical data of their patients when required- something that is increasingly important when treating critical cases.
Why did you choose to partner specifically with InterSystems, a US private firm?
We did a search across all companies providing an EMR solution. The combination of technical skills plus the client customer service reputation led us to choose InterSystems. As a private hospital, we seek to partner with a proven company who has done this before successfully.
Does the government of Thailand plan measures to develop innovative solutions in the healthcare system?
The government has embarked on an initiative called “Thailand 4.0” that examines the service sector, including healthcare services, to become more competitive in the region. The initiative details are still under development however they are looking at all aspects of the healthcare delivery system.
Are you planning any other partnerships in the coming years?
As part of re-building all our Information Systems from the ground up we have partnered with several organizations including TrakCare and Cisco Systems (a US company specialized in IT and networking). We have been announcing these partnerships during this year and expect more in the coming months to be shared.
Will this modernization of the hospital increase the cost of patient care services?
Although there is a cost associated with this deployment, we believe that there will be efficiencies that will be gained as clinicians are able to spend more time caring for patients and less time doing administrative procedures.
This will allow us to provide better care to patients, with higher quality, safety and improved access thereby making Bumrungrad provide better healthcare services.
Don’t you think one of the problem with digital health is that these kinds of high tech products, generally expensive, are likely to exclude part of the population?
I disagree with this statement. Bumrungrad has been a leader in providing healthcare solutions and in Thailand there is healthy competition in both the private and public sectors and this provides greater choices to patients seeking health care.
Our efforts to be a pioneer has led to others following along the same path which has ultimately benefited the larger population as all institutions progress.
For example, in 2002, Bumrungrad was the first hospital in Asia to become JCI accredited. JCI or Joint Commission International is a US based agency that certifies the systems and standards of a hospital to ensure patient safety and quality standard which translates into better health outcomes for the patient.
Today there are over 40 JCI accredited hospitals in Thailand including within the public sector.
This has led to improvements for patients across Thailand as better systems are deployed. This trend will likely take place with digital initiatives too.
Do you believe Thailand can lead the eHealth market?
At Bumrungrad, we strive to be an Asian leader in providing tertiary healthcare medical services and have been recognized as such by many third party organizations.
Full integration of our digital systems is part of our strategy of being a leader in this space.
