The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has partnered with an electronic records provider to enhance patient care and efficiency for the scheme’s 150,000 residents.

eClinicalWorks, the cloud electronic healthcare records, said in a statement that it has supplied NHI with a system that aims to enhance patient care, improve operational efficiency and drive positive health outcomes.

It added that the system also helps manage telehealth platforms, which allow for virtual visits from one of the more than 140 registered NHI primary care providers to ensure continued care for patients unable to physically visit a doctor, especially Family Island residents.

eClinicalWorks said all NHI Authority-registered facilities have successfully adopted the EHR system. As a result, it added that compliance data collected has increased significantly across the provider network with a rise in screenings to detect non-communicable diseases.

Within a year, there has been a notable increase in the screenings using the population health tools available within the NHIA EHR system for various NCDs, and an increase in compliance across the NHIA’s healthcare providers network.

1Screenings for prostate cancer were said to have improved ten-fold, whole those for cervical cancer doubled. Colorectal cancer screening compliance improved 14-fold, and the assessment of diabetic patients improved by 44 percent. This data was obtained from a sample of 35,514 patients.

The increased screenings were said to be vital because, according to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), 74 percent of deaths in The Bahamas result from non-communicable diseases (NCD). NCDs include diabetes, heart disease and cancers.

“The collaboration between the NHI Authority and eClinicalWorks has allowed us to take a significant step towards revolutionising how we collect and track patient screenings and results,” said Chadwick Williamson, the NHI Autority’s chief information officer.

“With continued progress, we can eventually develop wellness policies and programmes related to chronic disease management. It emphasises our shared commitment to transforming healthcare delivery throughout The Bahamas.”

“eClinicalWorks is proud to partner with the NHI Authority to help digitise the Bahamian healthcare system to improve clinical operations and drive public health initiatives on a national scale,” said Girish Navani, chief executive and co-founder of eClinicalWorks.

“By implementing eClinicalWorks electronic health records and population health tools, the NHI Authority is better equipped to track compliance data and improve long-term patient care.”