Bedside computers for better patient care

Health Minister John Hill said the 17-inch (25.4cm) touch-screen computers will be rolled out across eight metropolitan and four country hospitals over the next 12 months.

“South Australia is the first state in the country, and one of the first places in the world, to put electronic clinical applications at patients’ bedsides on this scale,” Minister Hill said.

“Telstra will install the individual computers at around 3,500 patient bedsides, making it the largest single installation of bedside computers in Australia.

“The computers will provide a clinical workstation for doctors and nurses and help standardise and improve clinical work practices across the whole health system.”

Computer terminals will also be installed at specialist hospital points of care, such as day surgery, aged care, chemotherapy, haematology areas and emergency departments.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paddy Phillips said health care workers will have improved access to medical and patient information when new clinical applications come online by early 2013.

“The computers will improve safety - for example, clinicians will be able order tests and medication directly, reducing the risk of errors with the traditional handwritten approach.” Professor Phillips said.

“The bedside computers will also enable clinicians to show the patient relevant health information, Xrays and test results on-screen at the patient’s bedside.”
SA Health carefully assessed a number of service providers via a formal tender process last year for the $36.7 million (over eight years) project.

The bedside computers will also provide patients with access to all terrestrial digital television and radio stations available in their area, a range of pay television channels, movies, a dedicated phone line and filtered internet access on a pre-paid basis.

Patients will be able to choose from entertainment packages ranging in price from $6 to $18 per day; there will be no charge for the clinical applications of the computers used by doctors and nurses.

Patients in Children’s, Renal Dialysis, Spinal, Burns, Haematology, Oncology, Hospice and Palliative Care wards will receive free to air TV at no cost.

DVA Gold and White card holders will also be provided with access to the standard entertainment package at no cost to them.

Chris Pearce, Executive Director, Government and Not-for-Profit, Telstra Enterprise and Government, said Telstra welcomes the opportunity to deliver a nation-leading patient bedside information and entertainment service to SA Health.

“Telstra is pleased to be working with SA Health to give hospital clinicians the latest access to clinical applications and other medical information direct from a patient’s bedside,” Mr Pearce said.

“Telstra is a long-term partner to the health industry in Australia and we are developing and delivering innovative solutions using Telstra’s high-speed networks to assist clinicians care for patients.”

The staged installation of the bedside computers is scheduled to begin at Noarlunga Hospital from 31 October 2011.

The bedside computers will also be rolled out at Lyell McEwin Hospital; Royal Adelaide Hospital; Modbury Hospital; Flinders Medical Centre; The Queen Elizabeth Hospital; Repatriation General Hospital; Women’s and Children’s Hospital; Port Augusta Hospital; Port Pirie Hospital; Whyalla Hospital; and Mount Gambier Hospital.