News & Press Releases
Hamad Medical Corporation’s Heart Hospital and National Center for Cancer Care and Research Become the First Two Hospitals in Qatar to Achieve HIMSS Analytics EMRAMSM Stage 6
DOHA, QATAR (14 November 2016) – HIMSS Analytics announced today that Heart Hospital and National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), members of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), have achieved the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption ModelSM (EMRAMSM) Stage 6, an international benchmark for the use of advanced IT to improve patient care. This is Qatar’s first EMRAMSM Stage 6 achievements.
HIMSS Analytics developed the EMRAMSM in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. There are eight stages (0 – 7) that measure a hospital's implementation and utilization of information technology applications. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0 – 7), hospitals can review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment.
"I am proud of the commitment shown by the teams in the Heart Hospital who have worked tirelessly to ensure we have the right systems and protocols in place to providing accurate, up-to-date, and complete information about patients at the point of care. The level 6 accreditation demonstrates that electronic physician documentation has been installed with structured templates in our entire hospital, we have a clinical decision support system, and closed loop medication administration is being practiced which all contribute towards delivering safer and more effective care to our patients," said Professor William McKenna - CEO and Medical Director of the Heart Hospital - a member of Hamad Medical Corporation.
"The National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) is proud to have achieved this prestigious accreditation. The team has embraced the technology of the clinical information system which enhances patient safety and improves the efficiency of care delivery. The team has worked tirelessly to implement and optimize the capability of the system and this award is recognition of this effort. We also thank our patients and their families for their support and understanding during the pre and post implementation phases of our new advanced healthcare systems," said Professor Alexander Knuth - CEO and Medical Director of the NCCCR - a member of Hamad Medical Corporation.
HIMSS states that its Stage 6 designation indicates that a hospital:
- Has made significant executive commitments and investments to reach this stage
- Appears to have a significant advantage over competitors for patient safety, clinician support, clinician recruitment, and competitive marketing for both consumers and nurse recruitment
- Has almost fully automated/paperless medical records when implementing its information technology applications across most of the inpatient care settings
- Is either starting to evaluate data for care delivery process improvements or has already documented significant improvements in this area
- Has made investments that are within reach of most hospitals and recognizes the strategic value of improving patient care with electronic medical records
- Has begun to create strategic alignments with its medical staff to effectively utilize information technology to improve the patient safety environment, and
- Is well positioned to provide data to key stakeholders, such as payers, the government, physicians, consumers, and employers, to support electronic health record environments and health information exchanges.
Dr. AbdulWahab Al Musleh, HMC's Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Information System and EMRAM Project Sponsor said: "HMC's Heart Hospital and the National Center for Cancer Care and Research have made a significant achievement in reaching EMRAM Stage 6. This accreditation demonstrates that we have realized a greater and more seamless flow of information within a digital health care infrastructure that is based on international best practice standards. Through effectively using Electronic Medical Record (EMR) System, we utilize digital progress to transform the way care is delivered to our patients. With more complete patient information, our clinicians improve their ability to make well-informed treatment decisions quickly and safely."
Dr. Ali Al Sanousi, MD, MBA, PhD, Executive Chief Medical Information Officer, HMC added: "The Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM), is an international scale developed by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The primary purpose for HMC’s pursuit of achieving HIMSS Analytics EMRAM was to demonstrate and validate our focus on improved quality of care. Reaching Stage 6 recognition is a result of commitment from HMC for prioritizing CIS implementations to minimize medical errors and improve patient experience. Putting this recognition into context, there are only 25% of U.S. hospitals have reached to EMRAM Stage 6, hence this put HMC hospitals in the forefront regionally and internationally."
“The Hamad Medical Corporation is rapidly elevating the quality of care it provides at the National Center for Cancer Care & Research and at the Heart Hospital in Doha. In addition to meeting the Stage 6 requirements, they have already implemented advanced EMR technology capabilities in terms of integrating smart pumps and multiple medical devices with the EMR. As the first two Stage 6 hospitals in Qatar, these organizations are quickly advancing towards a paperless electronic medical record environment paving the way for other hospitals across HMC,” said John H. Daniels, Global Vice President, Healthcare Advisory Services Group, HIMSS Analytics.
Heart Hospital and NCCCR will be recognized at the HIMSS Qatar Educational Conference and Health IT Exhibition in May 2017. For more information about HIMSS Analytics Middle East, click here.
About Hamad Medical Corporation
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is the main provider of secondary and tertiary healthcare in Qatar and one of the leading hospital providers in the Middle East. For more than three decades HMC has been dedicated to delivering the safest, most effective and compassionate care to all its patients. HMC manages eight hospitals – five specialist hospitals and three community hospitals – as well as the National Ambulance Service and as home and residential care. In January 2016, HMC achieved the significant distinction of becoming the first healthcare system across the globe to have all its hospitals accredited by Joint Commission International under the Academic Medical Center accreditation program. Additionally, the National Ambulance Service, Home Healthcare Service and Stroke Service have all received this prestigious accreditation since 2011. To meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, HMC has announced ambitious plans to expand capacity across its network through to 2030. This expansion plan includes four new hospitals in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City. HMC is leading the development of the region’s first academic health system – combining innovative research, top-class education and excellent clinical care – and is committed to building a legacy of healthcare expertise in Qatar. HMC collaborates with key partners who are experts in Qatar and beyond, including Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Partners Healthcare, Boston. HMC is also the first hospital system in the Middle East to achieve institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education – International (ACGME-I), which demonstrates excellence in the way medical graduates are trained through residency, internship and fellowship programs.
About HIMSS Analytics
HIMSS Analytics is a global healthcare IT market intelligence, research and standards organization assisting clientele in both healthcare delivery and healthcare technology solutions business development to make lasting improvements in efficiency and performance. HIMSS Analytics, a wholly owned subsidiary of HIMSS headquartered in Burlington, Vermont, U.S., is the healthcare research and advisory firm for healthcare organizations, health IT companies, governmental entities, financial, pharmaceutical, consulting and emerging technology solution partners.
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