Benefits

The Outreach EMR system delivers a number of benefits.


For patients


  • Accurate and accessible monitoring of nutrition over time by measuring of height/weight/arm circumference
  • Computer records of immunization is more accurate than hand held alternatives ensuring better prevention from infectious disease
  • Increased confidentiality as staff access data on screen, not by word of mouth
  • Safer prescriptions from onscreen instructions
  • Improved follow up and monitoring of prolonged or chronic illness
  • Improved confidentiality as there will be no need to shout questions across to other clinicians – things like HIV status will be flagged in the system
  • Better treatment as patient’s questions can be answered more accurately s a result of histories
  • Ability to serve remote communities as well as those living nearer the main clinic


For your staff


  • Time savings - when a patient returns your staff only need to identify the patient, to see their records – there is no need to take a new full (and probably imperfect) history
  • Immediate access to previous data facilitates better care
  • Continual professional development through case reviews and clinical searches
  • On screen assistance for prescribing


For your clinic


  • Provides evidence to prove clinic changing health of community/individual, allowing informed planning and advocacy
  • Provides evidence of care and protocol adherence
  • Saves money through downward pressure on prescribing costs and reduction of ad-hoc (and often repetitive) test requests
  • Better staff moral and retention through enhanced continual professional development
  • Saves reporting time - essential reports done in minutes not days


For your community


  • Better health care provided to your community, at a lower cost
  • Increasing health promotion e.g. through increasing immunization rates increases herd immunity
  • Computer searches allow early identification of disease hotspots and targeted health intervention, eg increased malaria in a village may mean that they need help or encouragement to increase use of sleep nets


For health managers


No need to travel to obtain up to date information about each clinic you manage


For your country


Reduced drug budgets

Accurate and automatic data reporting (through DHIS2 interoperability) helps develop appropriate health services

Academic research through easy access to data by outside agencies can lead to health improvement

Accurate monitoring of clinical activity