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The Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) delivers a wide range of health services to almost half a million people on a budget of more than A$1 billion. With clinicians working in hospitals, rural health centres and community clinics scattered across 68,332 square kilometres, DHHS wanted to provide easy access to the right information at the right time. They believed that with instantaneous access to centralised discipline- and department-specific treatment guidelines, clinicians would be able to deliver more effective patient care.
Chris Showell, Manager of Information Systems AHS at DHHS, explains: "DHHS operates within a complex healthcare environment. We need a solution that’s easy to customise, deploy and manage; one that’s cost-effective and scalable, and offers the advanced information sharing capabilities that our clinicians need to be effective."
DHHS worked with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner OBS to develop a Web portal built on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. A pilot project was undertaken and was tested successfully in a virtual environment over a period of six months. Satisfied that the solution would meet the challenges of DHHS’s complex business environment the branded solution called "The Clinicians Portal" was fully implemented.
DHHS is now able to streamline information services to clinicians, greatly improving efficiency. Using simple online tools, clinicians collaborate to update treatment protocols, guidelines and clinical pathways for their discipline or workgroup, then send them instantly to the right people. With consistent, centralised information resources and distribution clinicians find it much easier to stay up-to-date and comply with current departmental and discipline-related policies, improving the quality and safety of patient care. "The Clinicians Portal", has made it much easier for teams across the state to keep in touch without the need for face-to-face meetings.
"The Clinician’s Portal" gives clinicians across Tasmania’s health environment fast, easy access to all the supporting information they need to be effective. Chris Showell concludes," It’s been a great step forward because up-to-date supporting information is vital to the quality of healthcare we deliver."
http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/