QEH upgrade of ICT systems on track

Following a cyber breach two years ago that severely hampered its operations, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is this year undertaking a major upgrade of its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance its patient care delivery systems.

Stating that the importance of this branch of the hospital’s operations cannot be understated, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Davidson Ishmael said there has been an overall effort to upgrade and enhance the ICT infrastructure at the QEH. 

“The Government of Barbados is in receipt of a grant of just over four million Euros (BDS$8.84 million) specifically to upgrade the QEH’s ICT infrastructure, that is, to help with its digitisation and digitalisation of its services. Critical to this rollout and digitisation effort is a Health Information System (HIS) which would allow for clinical staff to administer patient care and to do so more efficiently and with the use of devices and technology to allow for patient tracking to take place,” he said.

Ishmael noted that this tracking will follow the patient’s journey from diagnosis, through treatment and to pharmacy.

A four-person project team has been identified, comprising a project officer, a procurement officer, a clinical specialist and a business analyst, he told the Estimates debate. He said the analyst has already started a department-by-department investigation to determine the technologies and processes in existence and to suggest how these can be engineered so that technologies can play a more prominent role in the operation.

Ishmael said the 30-month project is on track.

He also stated that since the cyber security incident of 2022, the hospital has made significant strides in ICT.

“All services have been restored and improved significantly, so the cyber security infrastructure, the monitoring and detection tools and our response mechanisms have all been enhanced so that we are better prepared for any future incidents,” he added.

The hospital’s Director of Support Services Louise Bobb said it is hoped that a decision on which HIS best suits the QEH’s business and functional needs will soon be made.

The areas to be part of the chosen system include the admission, discharge and transfer system, patient billing and costing, lab system and pharmacy.

“Along with this major direction that is being taken, we are looking at other areas where technology enhances the operations of the hospital and the patient experience,” Bobb said.

A portal which allows patients to access their information remotely is also to be part of the new HIS, she added. (SP)