New patient IT system for South Island hospitals

Health Minister Tony Ryall has given the go-ahead for the introduction of a single patient information system to all hospitals in the South Island.

“The South Island Patient Information Care System (SI PICS) will connect hospitals and health services in the South Island so health professionals can share information securely and provide patients with better care,” says Mr Ryall.

“Replacing each district health board’s patient information system with a single streamlined regional system will provide health professionals with more accurate information, and allow them to spend less time on administration and more time on caring for patients.

“It will also manage a number of patient services for district health boards (DHBs), including patient appointments, admissions, discharges, and transfers.

“The new system will also be more timely and cost-efficient than the patient information systems it replaces. Together, the DHBs are expected to save around $40 million over the next 15 years,” says Mr Ryall.

SI PICS will be introduced throughout South Island hospitals in stages, beginning in 2015 with Burwood Hospital in Christchurch and then with hospitals in the Nelson/Marlborough region.

The South Island Alliance, a collaboration of the five South Island DHBs, is working with Orion Health to develop and implement SI PICS.