The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, has completed the implementation of a new Electronic Health Records (EHR) system. The new EHR system will facilitate easier access to patient records, enhance efficiency in the delivery of care and support localized research that will inform the delivery of relevant care.
It is part of Aga Khan University’s global digitization project that will see its seven hospitals and over 340 outreach medical centres fully paperless. The new system gives patients electronic access to their health records through a patient portal enabling them to view their personal information, access test results, view appointments, track immunization and ask follow-up questions.
“Embracing technology in this manner reaffirms our commitment to excellence in the delivery of care. This transformative initiative will streamline patient care and open new doors for cutting-edge research and comprehensive medical training,” said Mr Rashid Khalani, CEO of Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.
The project, dubbed ‘AKU OneHealth’, and implemented in partnership with MEDITECH’s Expanse Electronic Health Records, sets the stage for a standard-based rollout across other AKU hospitals globally.
“With the seamless integration of technology into our healthcare system, we are unleashing the power of data-driven research and empowering our scientific community to accelerate medical advancements and address the most pressing healthcare challenges in the regions we operate in,” said Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President and Vice-Chancellor of the Aga Khan University.
According to AKU Chief Information Officer, Shaukat Ali Khan, the new system will provide doctors with evidence-based clinical decision support, embedded within their workflows.
Dr Carl Amrhein, AKU’s Vice Chancellor and Programme Leader explained that “AKU will be leveraging on data analytics within expanse to trend patient results across all of its locations. Using tools built into the EHR they can determine not only which treatments are most effective for patients in their region, but also utilize this data for research purposes”.
Charlotte Jackson, CEO of MEDITECH International said: “We are so proud to partner with Aga Khan University and Hospitals by providing a shared electronic health record to connect their communities. We look forward to supporting the full breadth of their care equality goals and facilitating better care for all patients across Africa and Asia.”
This clinical transformation with AKU OneHealth has now placed AKUH-Nairobi on a level playing field with many of the most advanced academic hospital systems in the world, according to Dr. K. Nadeem Ahmed, AKU’s Global Chief Medical Informatics Officer.
