Chemo dosing component of much-maligned SA health record system, EPAS, under review

SA HEALTH may abandon plans to include an electronic system for chemotherapy dosing in its EPAS system — the $500 million “universal” patient record system bought from the US six years ago.

Senior oncologist Professor Dorothea Keefe.

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SA HEALTH may abandon plans to include an electronic system for chemotherapy dosing in its EPAS system — the $500 million “universal” patient record system bought from the US six years ago.

Professor Dorothy Keefe, a senior oncologist who in 2015 declared EPAS would underpin Transforming Health, this week said SA Health was reviewing whether to stick with chemotherapy dosing component within the system or give up and buy something new.

“One of the problems now is that ... we’re not going to have EPAS at all of our chemotherapy sites within a known time frame,” she told the Legislative Council Select Committee on Chemotherapy Dosing Errors.

“So, in fact, we are reviewing whether it is the right thing to do to pursue the EPAS chemotherapy system or whether in fact we’re going to have to change our view and look at a stand-alone system.”

Asked by Labor MLC Gail Gago if that meant starting again, she said much had been learnt in the six years since EPAS (Enterprise Patient Administration System) AllScripts was purchased.

“I think we’re at a turning point and we need to make a decision quite quickly now about whether getting the EPAS system rolled out in a realistic time frame is possible, or whether we need to go with a stand-alone system,” she said.

The latest delays in rolling out the expensive and controversial EPAS have infuriated clinicians, and confirmed the view of IT specialists that SA Health should have bought several specialised systems and connected them through an integra­tion engine.

The system has also failed to deliver “best of breed” bedside smartcard technology — like that regularly used in cafes. Users must log in manually, it is slow to operate and it does not accept electronic inputs, so emailed referrals or images must be printed and scanned.

“That’s the best we can do for our health staff in this state with more than $400 million?” an industry source said.

“That’s why the industry is so upset. If they gave us anywhere near $400 million, we couldn’t spend it.”

Emeritus Professor Warren Jones said at the nRAH only 10 of 51 electronic functions would use EPAS. Key areas including intensive care, cancer and renal care, acute pain management, and the nRAH emergency department would so far still rely on paper.

SA Health deputy chief executive Don Frater said EPAS had taken longer than anticipated to roll out. “As a result we were exploring options to either reallocate the funding to a stand-alone (chemotherapy system) or continue integrating (it) with EPAS,” he said.