NDP wants external review of paperless health records system

NDP health critic Judy Darcy is joining some doctors in calling for an external review of the new paperless health records system at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

The hospital is putting the new system, IHealth, through a trial run, but some doctors have called it cumbersome and prone to errors.

"There continue to be reports daily of problems that are identified,"Dr. DavidForrest,president of the medical staff association at the hospital said last week.

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IHealth, developed by U.S. company Cerner, has been in place since March, but there are still reports of problems with entering medication orders, which doctors are calling a risk to patient safety.

"The government needs to put a halt to it and do an external, independent and expedited review," Darcy said. "We all agree that we need one healthcare record, but that is not what is happening at Nanaimo today."

IHealth uses computer workstations on wheels to centralize digital records, but Island Health admitted in April the unpredictable nature of emergency rooms has made use of the system challenging.

Island Health did conduct an internal review in response to concerns but decided not to pull the electronic system.

It maintains patient safety has not been put at risk and electronic record keeping will improve care.

"We are engaging with physicians daily to improve the system," Dr. Jeremy Etherington, executive vice president and chief medical officer for Island Health said in a statement.

"We have brought in additional staffing resources at NRGH and we are working on a number of other improvements to both the work flows and system support. We are working to address each concern brought forward."

Island Health has not said when it plans to expand IHealth to other hospitals in the region.