Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards 2023

MN-CMS EHR Programme

The MN-CMS team was honoured to be shortlisted for the HealthTech Innovation of the Year in recognition of the achievement of the MN-CMS Antenatal Visit (ANV) Medication Inbound Messaging Project at the inaugural Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards 2023.

This innovation was achieved under the leadership of Emma Flaherty, Senior Informatics Pharmacist and Eileen Burke, Senior Project Manager in collaboration
with hospital pharmacists, GPIT, GP vendors, the Healthlink team and OracleCerner.

The quality improvement project optimised MN-CMS EHR capabilities to accept and file medication and vaccine information provided by the GP as part of the electronic ANV Shared Care messaging via Healthlink. This is the first project nationally to develop a process for standardisation of medication-related information between GP systems and an EHR - an essential building block for the development of an Irish Summary Care Record as envisaged by Sláintecare.

The key objectives of this innovation:

• Reduce avoidable harm from medications by improving medication safety at transitions of care – a key priority for the World Health Organisation (WHO).
• Enhance patient care and improve health outcomes by developing automated, clear, relevant and timely communication of medication and vaccine information between GPs and MN-CMS.
• Enable staff, in the provision of antenatal care in MN-CMS sites, to have full oversight of vaccines administered and medications prescribed and discontinued by the GP within the previous 12 months.
• Implement Health Information and Quality Authority’s (HIQA) recommendation to focus on improving medication safety by using the electronic solution to reduce time
  spent by clinical staff on medication reconciliation.
• Ensure that the medication details in the ANV Shared Care messages inbound to MN-CMS allows the automated acquisition of GP medication information.
• Provide support to clinical staff completing medication reconciliation by automating one source of medication information and facilitate the documentation of the most accurate medication history possible to support improved patient safety and care.
• Enhance clinical audit and research through standardisation of medication information in alignment with Slaintecare Strategic Action 10, which advocates integrated patient centered care and improving data, research and evaluation capabilities.
• Implementing Health Information and Quality Authority’s (HIQA) recommendation to focus on improving medication safety by using our electronic solution to reduce the time spent by clinical staff on medication reconciliation is a national requirement.

Scalable potential

• This optimisation project for messaging between GP systems and MN-CMS developed into a pioneering, pathfinding project to enhance the semantic interoperability between the GP systems and an EHR.
• No other system in the Irish market has developed these medications information capabilities.
• All 19 maternity facilities will have this information for their patients when they adopt MN-CMS.
• Semantic understanding - The area of medication and vaccine information is complex and the absence of a national drug file generates further complexity,
  ensuring clear understanding among all parties is essential for future scalability and was central to this project.
• This solution is the foundation upon which further innovation is unlocked i.e. potentially use the GP as a consistent, accurate source of medication information for all patients being referred into acute care to ensure seamless medication reconciliation at transitions of care.
• This would save clinical staff time (GP’s and staff in acute care) spent on obtaining and supplying a medication history for all patients in Ireland.

For more about the MN-CMC click here.