[health-vn] IT underutilised by health sector

[Vern Weitzel]

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01HEA270409

IT underutilised by health sector

(27-04-2009)

HA NOI — The application of information technology (IT) in hospitals has not met 
expectations due to a lack of proper investment, according to the director of 
the Department of Health Examination and Treatment Management, Ly Ngoc Kinh.

IT can be highly useful in treating patients, controlling finances and avoiding 
losses. However, 20 years after management software was introduced in the health 
sector, only 20 per cent of hospitals using it have successfully applied it.

"Some hospital managers do not properly understood the usefulness of IT in 
heightening the quality of disease examination."

Kinh said 80 per cent of central-level hospitals nation-wide, 60 per cent of 
provincial hospitals and 30 per cent of district hospitals have launched IT 
projects.

He said many hospitals had not properly invested in IT, had no strategies or 
projects about applying IT - and did not recruit enough trained IT workers.

However, Kinh said management software was of great help to many hospitals. 
Using the system, each day about 700 patients were admitted to the Central 
Endocrine Hospital, but everything ran smoothly.

According to the vice-head of the IT unit at the hospital, Vu Tuan Thang, 
information on patients in different categories, such as those on health 
insurance or those using on-demand services, can be managed systematically.

Once patient information is entered, it can be accessed to check on health 
appointments, hospitalisation and payments.

"Although the number of patients is increasing, we can still carry out health 
examination and treatment smoothly thanks to the management software," said Thang.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, who is in charge of finances and accounting at Ha Noi Medical 
University Hospital, agreed.

"It is quite necessary for hospitals to apply management software. First, it 
helps avoid loss of receipts and (confusion over) expenses. Secondly, it helps 
doctors easily follow patient treatment, some of whom need to use many types of 
medicine," he said.

On top of this, health examinations and costs were transparent, so each patient, 
can balance their spending on the information, Binh said.

He said it was a pity not every hospital was able to improve the quality of its 
service using IT.

IT network

Only three out of 100 health-care units and hospitals under the management of 
Hau Giang Province’s Department of Health have an internal IT network.

Significantly, the Department of Preventive Health care and Environment, 
probably the most important office in preventing and fighting disease, does not 
have a website to provide information about its activities.

Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the department, said details of a recent measles 
epidemic were collated by telephone.

"If IT was applied in a situation like this, reporting details on a website 
would be more exact and economical for everyone," he said.

Deputy director of the Central Paediatrics Hospital, Nguyen Thanh Hai, admitted 
that the application of IT in hospitals was still modest.

"It’s like a poor owner building a house, it can become a shambles," said Hai.

Ly Ngoc Kinh said only when hospital managers became aware of the importance of 
IT could it be carried out effectively.—VNS



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Vern Weitzel (Mr.) BSc, BA, MA, M Env Man & Dev
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