NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Bahamas has moved one significant step closer to a seamless digital health information exchange system, as Information Systems for Health (IS4H) Bahamas has launched pilot programmes designed to stress-test a suite of new health information exchange applications including a new patient portal, an appointment scheduling app and more. The first phase of piloting these apps will last three months and will lead to improved efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare decision-making, paving the way toward a healthier, more secure Bahamas.
The IS4h Bahamas development tempo has increased dramatically over the past months. Now, as the digital architecture nears completion, the team is anticipating that the stress testing will yield actionable results. Indeed, some segments of the Bahamian public are presently interacting with the initial stages of a successfully digitalized health information system.
The following applications are currently in Phase One of testing with Mental Health Counseling Services, Nutrition Counseling Services, the CNCD (Chronic, Non-Communicable Diseases) Screening Unit, and a health learning management system:
Bahamas National Patient Portal (BNPP), through which participants will be able in the first instance to view results online (CNCD Unit & Nutrition Counseling Services), and through which participants will soon be able to request a service online.
PatientPay, a point of sale (POS) application which allows users and administrators access and flexibility in a secure environment to manage financial obligations from anywhere in the country.
Supporting these public-facing apps are PatientLink Bahamas (Appointment Scheduler), through which patients will be able to view appointments and through which providers (Mental Health Counseling Services in the first phase) will be able to set and manage patient appointments online.; a one-time password (OTP) app which facilitates multi-factor authentication for increased data and information security; a Master Patient Index (MPI) which is the building block of the eventual electronic health record (EHR), and a business intelligence tool (BIT) which pools all the data from across the applications to allow for improved reporting, more detailed and customizable analysis and more data-driven public policy making.
Professional Development
In addition, the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) is also in the first phase of testing. Through Moodle, public health personnel will have online access to dynamic courses that will support training and continuous learning. The implementation of the LMS will facilitate more effective and efficient delivery of training. Moodle will also enable training and continuous learning to be accessible to the Family Islands.
In The Pipeline
IS4H Bahamas technical experts will use the data and lessons learned in Phase One of piloting to refine the apps and the environment in which they operate before widespread adoption.
In the coming weeks, training of public health staff and providers will ramp up to ensure that the new digital health information exchange systems are fully utilized to improve health outcomes for everyone in the Bahamian public health system.
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