Introduction to EMC Healthcare’s Digital Transformation
EMC Healthcare, a publicly-listed healthcare group in Indonesia, is taking a significant step forward in its digital transformation journey. Almost a year after completing its Electronic Medical Record (EMR) rollout, the healthcare provider is set to upgrade to an AI-driven system for managing health records. This move is expected to revolutionize the way healthcare services are delivered, making them more efficient, accurate, and patient-centric.
Implementing EMR
The journey towards digital transformation began when EMC Healthcare expanded its group by acquiring hospitals. Initially, these hospitals operated different health information systems independently, which caused challenges for clinicians and staff. The paper-based systems led to storage issues, accessibility limitations, risk of loss and damage, difficulty in sharing information, lack of standardization, no audit trails, and limited data analysis capabilities. To address these issues, the management proposed the hospital’s digitalization, at the core of which is a single, centralized Hospital Information System (HIS).
The EMR Project
The EMR project started in November 2021, when EMC Healthcare signed the TrakCare EMR system implementation contract with InterSystems. The implementation process involved recruiting a team of superusers, collecting system requirements from all hospitals, configuring the system, and testing. The first site went live in December 2022, followed by the next sites going live three months apart. In June 2024, the implementation of the TrakCare system was completed in all eight hospitals. Medical records were also digitized simultaneously, with over one million pages scanned.
Challenges and Solutions
The biggest challenge faced by EMC Healthcare was getting buy-in from its specialist doctors, who were around 700 in number. The management convinced the doctors, and the superuser team trained them to use TrakCare. After going live, the superuser team continued to provide assistance to the doctors, ensuring they felt comfortable using the system.
Turning to AI
EMC Healthcare’s EMR journey did not stop there. Recently, it piloted an AI-driven EMR system from the same vendor. The hospital president, Jusup Halimi, emphasized that AI is the future trend and that not adopting it would mean being left behind. The AI-powered clinical decision support tools will provide predictive analytics for risk stratification, personalized treatment recommendations based on a broader range of patient data, and proactive alerts for potential complications.
Harnessing AI
The AI system will deliver the most value to EMC Healthcare’s clinic consultation rooms, inpatient daily visits, and emergency department. AI will support doctors in accessing a comprehensive patient summary, consolidating data from different sources into a single, structured summary. This will give doctors a full picture of the patient’s condition at a glance, helping them make faster, safer, and more informed decisions.
"AI can reduce the documentation burden through features like speech-to-text and smart charting. When doctors and patients have a conversation, the AI can transcribe the conversation and intelligently place the right information into the corresponding sections of the EMR, whether it’s the chief complaint, allergy, diagnosis, or plan. This allows doctors to maintain eye contact with their patients, rather than with a computer screen. The experience becomes more human." – Jusup Halimi, President Director, EMC Healthcare
Harnessing Data with AI
Currently, EMC Healthcare is using a data warehouse system to store patient, medical, clinical, and financial data. Analytical tools are also used to display information. The hospital intends to harness data using an AI-driven EMR system to enhance clinical decision support, efficiency, and workflow, as well as patient experience during hospitalization, and for research purposes.
Conclusion
EMC Healthcare’s digital transformation journey is a testament to the power of technology in revolutionizing healthcare services. The adoption of AI-driven EMR systems is expected to improve patient care, reduce costs, and enhance the overall efficiency of healthcare services. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, it is essential for healthcare providers to embrace digital transformation and harness the power of AI to deliver better patient outcomes.
FAQs
Q: What is EMC Healthcare’s digital transformation journey about?
A: EMC Healthcare’s digital transformation journey is about adopting technology to improve patient care, reduce costs, and enhance the overall efficiency of healthcare services.
Q: What is the AI-driven EMR system, and how will it benefit EMC Healthcare?
A: The AI-driven EMR system is a technology that uses artificial intelligence to manage health records. It will benefit EMC Healthcare by providing predictive analytics, personalized treatment recommendations, and proactive alerts for potential complications.
Q: How will AI reduce the documentation burden for doctors?
A: AI will reduce the documentation burden for doctors through features like speech-to-text and smart charting, allowing them to maintain eye contact with patients and focus on providing better care.
Q: What is the role of data in EMC Healthcare’s digital transformation journey?
A: Data plays a critical role in EMC Healthcare’s digital transformation journey, as it will be used to enhance clinical decision support, efficiency, and workflow, as well as patient experience during hospitalization, and for research purposes.
