By Dominic Abassi

Controversial IHealth will get Third Party Review

Jul 22, 2016 | 9:35 AM

There will be a third party review of a controversial electronic record keeping system at Nanaimo Hospital.

The province says the Ministry of Health and Island Health have agreed to conduct a third party review, which will be led by Dr. Doug Cochrance, B.C.’s patient safety and quality officer.

The decision to undertake the review came after a meeting between Health Minister Terry Lake, Island Health CEO Brendan Carr and a number of NRGH physicians and staff.

The $174 million paperless IHealth system was rolled out at NRGH, Dufferin Place and Oceanside Health Centre in March.

Since then it has been widely criticized by doctors, who call it fundamentally flawed and unsafe for patients. There have been reports of incorrect prescriptions, improper dosages and the system cancelling critical instructions.

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The province says the review could lead to recommendations for immediate, short-term or long-term actions and will study the workflow and patient-safety quality concerns identified. It’s expected to be completed by the end of September.

“We undertook this massive change in clinical practice understanding it would take significant ongoing efforts to improve and stabilize the system,” said Island Health CEO Brandan Carr in a release. “We remain committed to ensuring electronic health records support the highest quality and safest patient care possible.”

In April, Island Health’s Toni O’Keefe told us there were growing pains with IHealth, but they were otherwise pleased with the new system.

In June, Island Health stood firm on the embattled system, saying in an emailed statement to our newsroom it would not be suspended and they would continue working with doctors and nurses on refining things.

O’Keefe said at the time it was expected IHealth would be put in place at all 150 of Island Health’s facilities in a year to a year and a half.