Project Lead(s): Gabriella Nanci
Issue
In Africa, healthcare providers are often concerned about effectively delivering longitudinal medical care. Electronic medical record (EMR) systems are increasingly being adopted to support the delivery of healthcare, including capturing vaccination records over a person's lifetime.
Solution
Implemented in Ghana, this project developed PhaaseID, a biometrically-linked EMR and vaccination registry database.
PhaaseID provides both a bridge between paper charts and EMRs and/or a permanent electronic solution, to create a life-long medical record.
PhaaseID is a fully developed electronic medical record that can maintain all aspects of patient records, including physical examination, laboratory results, diagnosis, treatment and plan for follow-up. It can also provide full documentation of treatment location and home village or city.
All fields are customizable for easy entry and entries include ICD codes, as well as codes unique to the Ghana Health Services system.
A unique feature of PhaaseID allows linkage of caregivers to the records of other patients, as well as allowing family groups to be registered for a visit with a group number.
Outcome
With 90,000 patients now enrolled in the system, results show that PhaaseID can increase a provider’s ability to monitor general health conditions and vaccination history over the long term. Care is also more consistent, as providers can review earlier treatments and diagnoses.
As the system expands to cover more sites, patients will be able to present to an increasing number of sites and have their health information available. The system also limits the time and resources hospitals dedicate to each patient, by allowing quick access and more in-depth evaluation of patient history.
Details of the project have been widely disseminated at conferences and seminars.
It is planned to introduce the program to the Ministry of Health of Ghana for possible implementation in a phased manner across the country.
Critical contacts and partnerships have been made with the Noguchi Memorial Institute, Oxford University, My Code Matters LLC, the Ministry of Health of Ghana, the Honorary Consulate of Ghana, Harvard University and Sabin Institute.