The Electronic Health Records (EHR) System, dubbed e-Care, is Jamaica’s pioneering digital healthcare management system. This system is designed to capture and store patient and facility records, and facilitate the sharing of these records among healthcare providers in the public health system, for more seamless and collaborative delivery of care.

Implemented by the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP), this new system is replacing the paper-based method of health record management in use in these facilities. The HSSP is implementing this system in 13 healthcare facilities in central Jamaica – 3 hospitals and 10 health centres.

Key features of the EHR System

• Waiting list creation to book and follow up with new and returning patients for appointments, both for inpatient and outpatient clinics.
• Allows healthcare workers to scan and upload paper-based files to be included in patient record going forward.
• Bed management solution to easily manage bed space in facilities.
• Planning discharge dates for patients and preparing discharge documents to allow for more efficiency in discharge process.
• Allows clinicians to record details of consultations with patients, and treatments administered.
• Provide visualisations based on data inputted to give clear picture of conditions.

• Seamless interface of critical diagnostic imaging that will enable health care professionals to see x-rays and CT scans on computers and tablets provided within the facilities.
• Theatre management functions to manage operating theatres across facilities and record details of operations performed.
• Tracking of equipment used in theatres and availability.
• Tracking of patients as they move from one area of a facility to the next.
• Management of maternity pathway from antenatal care to labour and delivery, and postnatal care for mother and child.

Benefits of EHR for the facilities and patients

• Efficient appointment and waiting list management.
• Digitisation of paper-based records, saving on physical storage space.
• Ease of access to patient records, saving time for both team members and patients.
• Bed management optimisation, so patients can be more comfortable in a shorter time.
• Streamlined discharge process to allow for greater efficiency and more bed space.
• Comprehensive consultation and treatment recording, to reduce duplication, missed doses, and other human errors in the administration of care and medications.
• Data-driven decision-making with visualisations, which encourages better outcomes for patients.
• Seamless diagnostic imaging integration.
• Theatre, equipment and patient management and scheduling, for improved efficiency.
• Integrated maternity pathway management, for better outcomes for mother and child.

Background

The HSSP contracted The Phoenix Partnership (TPP), based in the UK, to deliver the system. TPP, with its 26 years of institutional experience, is a leading global provider of healthcare technology, with a reputation of working alongside governments to improve health outcomes and tackle inequalities in care. Their contractual obligations to Jamaica also include a 15-year support period, along with additional functionality, such as a patient-centric mobile app that will be launched by the HSSP in the near future.

Launched in 2018, the HSSP is designed to support the strengthening of Jamaica’s health system for the prevention and care management of non-communicable diseases. This is being achieved through targeted interventions at 13 facilities in central Jamaica, and the implementation of a standardised chronic care model for the country.

The project began with funding by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through an initial loan facility of US $50 million. With additional funding from the Government of Jamaica to the tune of US $87 million and an investment grant from the European Union (EU) valued at US $10 million in 2022, the HSSP is now set to invest some US $148 million into transforming the country’s health sector by 2029.