Advancing healthcare with digital technology
Around the world, healthcare organisations are replacing paper-based processes and fragmented technologies with integrated electronic health records (EHRs) to provide better connected care, support more informed clinical decision-making, and empower patients.
The experiences of these digitally enabled healthcare organisations highlight how technology can impact every aspect of care; from engaging patients to take an active role in their health with digital tools such as patient portals to enabling clinicians to spend more face-to-face time with patients through mobile technology and administrative automation.
Most importantly, the digitisation of healthcare improves patient outcomes through seamless data sharing, prevention of medical errors, accelerated diagnoses, and preventative care support.
Next steps
In Ireland, the digitisation of healthcare is already underway with many private health systems using or implementing EHR platforms to advance care. Now, the public sector has embarked on modernising the State health system through the Health Service Executive (HSE)’s Digital for Care strategy, which centres on the introduction of a national EHR. The One Health Record EHR will provide a single, lifelong digital record for every patient across public hospitals, community services, and other care settings.
For more than two decades, MEDITECH has supported Irish healthcare organisations with its advanced EHR technology. Today, more than 80 per cent of the Irish private healthcare market, including all of the State’s largest private healthcare systems, use or are implementing MEDITECH.
“Ireland is at an exciting moment in its digital health journey as digitisation efforts accelerate, extending to the public health system,” says MEDITECH Executive Director, International Gina Kerley. “Globally, we have partnered with standalone hospitals, large hospital networks, academic organisations, and speciality hospitals and have seen firsthand the power of technology to transform care delivery in both public and private settings. The benefits are innumerable and improve every part of the care experience.”
Connected care
Mater Private Network implemented MEDITECH’s Expanse EHR across its hospitals, day hospitals, cancer centres, and clinics, and has leveraged the platform to enhance collaboration and communication between clinicians, GPs, and different hospital departments.
As part of the project, the organisation standardised and integrated clinical and administrative workflows with laboratory, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy, scheduling, and registration processes, creating a unified approach across all locations. The EHR established a single, comprehensive patient record that is shared between locations and providers.
Within a year of going live on the EHR platform, Mater Private Network reported that clinicians are benefiting from the complete real-time view of each patient’s care journey across inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory services.
By delivering a shared patient record, clinicians are making more informed decisions, and the organisation has reduced duplication of testing. Additionally, the health system has further enhanced safety with innovations like network-wide specimen traceability and standardised patient tracking.
“At Mater Private Network, we are committed to delivering exceptional, patient-centred care through clinical excellence,” says Mater Private Network Deputy Group CEO David Slevin. “Digital technology and continued innovation are fundamental to achieving that vision. By implementing an electronic health record across our facilities, we have strengthened clinical integration, enhanced care delivery, and enabled more connected, coordinated, and safer care for our patients.”
The benefits of healthcare digitisation are being realised every day by organisations that have adopted modern EHRs such as MEDITECH Expanse. AI-powered documentation, mobile workflows, and intelligent automation are saving thousands of hours of administrative time, allowing clinicians to spend more time with patients.
“After going live with Expanse, the health network improved patient safety along with coordination and continuity of care,” Kerley says. “Additionally, they look to leverage the cloud-based platform as the foundation for future innovations, ensuring the sustainability of their system.”
Impact on public healthcare
MEDITECH also has over 30 years of experience transforming care for health systems in the UK, including several large and leading NHS Foundation Trusts and a number of prestigious private healthcare facilities that range in size and location.
Several of these organisations have been recognised as leaders in digital healthcare, earning titles including Advanced Foundation Trust status for leadership in advancing the Government’s 10-year health plan.
This year, one of MEDITECH’s customers earned the second highest Digital Maturity Assessment ranking out of all acute Trusts for its use of digital technologies. The speciality Trust has leveraged digital technologies, including Expanse, to ensure it provides patients with the highest standard of care.
From managing patient records, appointments, and prescriptions to supporting clinicians with secure, integrated systems, a modern digital platform enables safer, more efficient, and more connected care.
A new era of healthcare
“The success of these public sector organisations demonstrates that digital technology, and more specifically, a modern EHR platform, can enable organisations to deliver better, safer, and higher quality patient care,” says Kerley. “We are excited to continue to support the digitisation of healthcare in Ireland and around the globe.”
As the HSE advances its national EHR programme, the measurable successes achieved by digitally enabled healthcare organisations around the world demonstrate the transformative potential of a connected health system.
Together, these outcomes illustrate how digital transformation can help build a safer, more connected, and more efficient healthcare system for patients and clinicians across Ireland.
