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Controversial IHealth system paused at Nanaimo Hospital

Feb 21, 2017 | 3:57 PM

NANAIMO — Rolling out the new IHealth system at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital hasn’t been seamless, to say the least.

Dr. Ben Williams, medical director for Oceanside Health Services and IHealth transition lead, confirmed the $174 million electronic record keeping service was paused at the hospital.

“It was a difficult transition to undergo because it’s a totally different way of providing care to our patients,” he said. “Nanaimo hospital is a very large hospital with all the complexities that come along with looking after a large number of patients.”

A third-party review by provincial patient and quality officer Dr. Doug Cochrane previously listed 26 recommended changes to the program. The review had been requested after concerns about how accurate drug orders for patients were under the new system.

Now, Williams said the pause will give them a chance to rally their forces over the coming weeks to impliment the changes and determine how to fix and alter the system. They’ll also determine what system to use while IHealth is being reworked.

“How I look at this is…a small step backwards for a larger step forward.”

After using IHealth for three years in Oceanside, Williams said he couldn’t imagine using anything else.

Island Health confirmed the final price tag of the project won’t change with the delay.

Williams said roughly $70 million has been spent so far.

 

spencer.sterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit