Waterloo region hospitals to be able to share patient records under new system

A new information system will allow local hospitals to share patient records, soinformation will be accessible, regardless of which hospital a patient needs to visit.

The new shared IT system will linkGrand River Hospital andSt. Mary's Hospital in Kitchenerand Cambridge Memorial Hospital

Currently, the hospitals use different systems.

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A few months ago, a patient at Grand River Hospital told a compelling story of how his care could have been improved if the hospitals didn't have distinct and separate record systems, saidMalcolmMaxwell, president and chief executive officer of Grand River Hospital.

"He brought home to us in a very human way, how much we could improve the experience of individual patients, by first having better and more modern tools, and secondly, by doing that jointly with our partner hospitals," he said.

Maxwell said that each of the hospitals specialize in different things.

"As we get older, we often have two or three health problems, so it's not uncommon for patients and their families to find themselves not only dealing with the doctor's office, but also two or three different hospitals," he said.

'We have a greater good'

Maxwellsaid theyplanto begin replacing their current system in 2018. That processwill take approximately two and a half years to complete.

He said some of the systems the hospitals use individually are more than 15 years old.

The hospitals have also been discussing other projects, in addition to the new IT system.

"We've also worked together to try to save funds by pooling our purchasing in certain areas, so that if were buying similar things we get as much volume in one contract as we can," Maxwell said.

But splitting costs isn't the only benefit to working with other hospitals.

"I think it helps us understand that although our individual hospitals are very important and we're loyal to the institution that we work in, that we have a greater good, and that's to serve the people that live in our community," Maxwell said.