SDPR foundation developed

The "landing zone" for the Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR) in New South Wales has been set. 

According to eHealth NSW, the landing zone, developed with Epic and Amazon Web Services, is the "secure, scalable foundation" for managing and deploying the SDPR. The single EMR project is set to replace nine EMR platforms, six PAS, five pathology LIMS, and other clinical support systems across NSW public health services. 

This step ensures that the right infrastructure is "in place to support the high performance and reliability required for the Epic Systems EMR," said SDPR project associate director Rodney Daly. 

Following this, the project now focuses on configuring the SDPR to meet user requirements, as well as data migration and integration with other systems and workflows, on top of ongoing testing and validation. 

Continued e-referrals rollout

More NSW local health districts are preparing to adopt the state-developed e-referral management system and digital referral forms from HealthLink. 

Based on an update, the e-referral technology will be rolled out soon in Sutherland Hospital, Prince of Wales, and Royal Women’s Hospital, as well as in Westmead Hospital in Western Sydney. It will also come to Far West LHD. 

The state project recently introduced an "update referral" feature that allows hospitals to request GPs to submit additional information to their initial referrals. Additional specialty forms and text and email notifications regarding referral outcomes have been rolled out.

The phased implementation of the e-referral management system and digital referral forms across NSW started last year, October. Since then, about 1,500 NSW GPs have submitted HealthLink e-referral SmartForms to LHDs. 

Strathfield rehab hospital introduces discharge module 

The Alwyn Rehabilitation Hospital in Strathfield has adopted a discharge summary module connected to My Health Record. 

This EMR module provided by Vitro Software will be integrated into Alwyn's existing patient management system by Altura Health. The FYDO PAS went live in the 26-bed private hospital last month.

In May, Glenelg Community Hospital in South Australia also implemented the same discharge summary module from Vitro.