The Health Ministry and the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS) are developing the Healthcare Information Technology Framework, an umbrella framework which can be used by all government hospitals and health clinics.

Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the integrated information management system would enable all 142 hospitals, 741 clinics, 545 dental clinics, 170 1Malaysia clinics, and 36 mother and child clinics throughout the country to share information and knowledge.

So far 26 government hospitals are equipped with the Hospital Information System, 88 clinics and seven hospitals with TelePrimary Care, and 10 dental clinics with the Oral Health Clinic Information System, he told reporters recently after witnessing the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the collaboration between the ministry and MIMOS here.

The ministry was represented by its deputy secretary-general (management) Datuk Dr Mohd Azhar Yahaya while
MIMOS by its president and chief executive officer, Datuk Abdul Wahap Abdullah.

Also present was Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili.

Liow said the use of ICT in silo was costly and cumbersome for a patient’s medical record could not be shared if they wanted to seek treatment at another hospital.

“We need a platform to connect all hospitals and clinics to share information through a secured system. The ministry, with the cooperation of MIMOS, will create a system that allows a variety of information, including a patient’s medical records to be shared among government hospitals and clinics,” he added.

Meanwhile, Liow said about 90 per cent of the framework system had been completed and it would take about a year for the first phase of the project to roll out.

In a statement, MIMOS said the first phase of the collaboration involved enhancing the Malaysia Health Information Exchange, a system that would enable the exchange of medical records among hospitals and clinics in a smooth and secure manner.

It will also entail the Malaysian Health Data Warehouse (a data analysis centre for the purpose of planning, research and monitoring of healthcare system), and the Medical Treatment Information System (an on-going web-based medical treatment report system linking all hospitals in the country), it added.

MIMOS said the collaboration also focused on the Health Ministry’s Patient Management System, the Hospital Management System and the Malaysian Diagnostic Related Croups Casemix System.

The second phase will involve MIMOS’ cloud computing technologies in mitigating cost issues and increasing ICT usage in government health and dental clinics nationwide, and a feasibility study for a centralised patient registry system that consolidates data on patients and illnesses.

source:mjn-e-news