A system allowing patients’ medical records available in all hospitals is being developed, with a health coalition made up of foreign Chambers of Commerce readying initial implementation by next year.

The Retirement & Healthcare Coalition (RHC) said in a statement that it, together with US-based health care equipment and product provider Lifeline Medical Systems are developing a system allowing patients’ electronic medical records (EMR) to be updated and ready for use in hospitals nationwide.

EMRs are health records stored in a computer database and readily available. These usually come in the form a card, like the ones The Medical City patients are given which can be used in all the hospital’s branches. But unlike The Medical City’s system, RHC’s EMR records will be available to all hospitals.

RHC Executive Director Marc Daubenbeuchel said in the statement that “It will be the first of its kind in the Philippines and it will allow patients to access their medical records on a real time basis.

“At present, in most of the hospitals the medical records are owned by the hospital and not by the patients. It is something that we want to change,” Mr. Daubenbuechel added.

Despite saying that getting most of the hospitals in the country into a single network is still dependent on several factors including current systems being used by the hospitals, insurance coverage, and the project cost, Mr. Daubenbuechel said the system will be tested by mid-next year.

“We are looking at the middle of next year to complete the initial phase of the project,” he said.

The RHC is a leading partner of the government in the promotion of the country as a primary destination for the world’s aging population. It is composed of the American, European, Japanese and Korean Chambers of Commerce. 

Source: Business World; Weekender; 5 October 2012