Will EPAS be ready in time for new RAH opening?

THE controversial $422 million electronic patient records software system will not be rolled out at the old RAH, casting doubt over whether it will be ready when the new hospital opens in 2016.

THE highly controversial $422 million Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS) will not be rolled out at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital, casting doubt over whether it will be ready when the new hospital opens in 2016.

The Opposition says failure to trial the system at the old RAH will put patients’ lives at risk.

The multimillion-dollar system, designed to switch hospitals from paper to electronic records, provides doctors, nurses and allied health staff with “real-time” access to patient information at the bedside and other points of care.

Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade said the latest news was a “disaster in the making” for staff and patients at the new RAH.

“If there is no functioning electronic patient record system and an ad hoc paper-based patient record system is crammed into the new hospital, patients will be placed at increased risk,” he said.

“When EPAS was first approved it was scheduled to cost just $220m — it is currently double that cost and rising.”

Mr Wade said staff at the new RAH should be focusing on getting used to the new hospital and delivering top quality care, not potentially worrying about the records system.

“The principal reason for training RAH health professionals in the new computer system before the shift to the new RAH was to protect patient safety,” he said.

But SA Health chief executive David Swan hosed down fears patient safety would be put at risk.

He assured the public medical staff would be provided with adequate training which aligns with the new model of care at the new RAH.

“The training will include reviews of workflows, workshops and practical stimulation training to ensure all staff are fully conversant with EPAS well before it is activated at the new RAH,” he said.

EPAS is currently used by more than 5000 staff across seven sites in SA including Noarlunga Hospital, Port Augusta Hospital, the Repatriation General Hospital and SA Ambulance headquarters.

Last year some of the state’s senior surgeons heavily criticised the EPAS system.

They said fewer patients were being treated and surgery wait times were blowing out because the records system was faulty.

A letter addressed to SA Health chief executive David Swan from a group of Repat doctors said they had used the system which was causing major problems.

The doctors said the system required “many mouse clicks and many different screen changes” to complete tasks that should be simple.

“This system was designed to surpass paper notation and make patient management better and safer. However, our experience has not demonstrated this to be the case,” they wrote at the time.

“EPAS has impacted significantly on clinic activity, reducing it to 50 per cent of previous levels.”