ROLE OF HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

B. Prasad

Guest Lecture

Hospital Management Information System plays an important role in Information processing in health care. It is the system used for the benefit of the hospital in which date are coherently stored in a database, from where they are put at the disposal of authorized users at the place and at the time the data are required, in a format adapted to the specific needs of the users. It has many advantages such as faster access, storage and retrieval of data, cost effective, user friendly, more secure and involve less manpower. Hospital Management information system (HMIS) is indispensable for any hospital for strategic planning, programming, budgeting, financial resource allocation, maintaining patients' record, personnel development, distribution and management of equipment, supplies, drugs and supervision of the services. The present paper reports Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) adopted in Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), a tertiary care hospital, rendering medicare in Rayalaseema region, backward region of Andhra Pradesh.

Institute Profile :

SVIMS is functioning since 1993. Its main aim is to provide Super Specialty facilities with nominal cost to the poor. This institute by an Act of A.P. State Legislature became a University in 1995. SVIMS render patient care to people of Rayalaseema region in particular and neighboring states in general. The major objectives of SVIMS include patient care and training in advanced medical sciences and technology through various courses. Total computer automation of patient care has been implemented in this institution for the first time in our Country. As per the UGC act Section 12 (B) of 1956, SVIMS University is included in the list of Universities to get financial aid. Free surgeries are being done under Pranadanam scheme & state illness fund for people below poverty line. The following departments are rendering their services for the public : Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Nephrology, Urology, Endocrinology, Nuclear Medicine, Gastroenterology, General Medicine, Oncology, Anesthesiology, Pathology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Radiology, Transfusion Medicine, Physiotherapy and Dietetics.

HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATON SYSTEM :

Information tools

The Information tools consists of Operating System, Networking(cat-3 cables) and nodes(Hardware); Application software, Developing menus, server ( Pentium II 350 MHZ, 128 MB RAM) Specialix Cards ,Line Drivers, Multi Language Terminals, Printers, Unix Network ,SCO Open Server and Fox Base (Software).

The HMIS is used for Administration, Academic Activities and Patient Care. In Administration and Academic activities, HMIS is utilized for correspondence, documentation, maintaining payrolls & budgetary allocations etc.

In patient care, HMIS is utilized for registration, Billing, Diagnostic reports, Maintenance of Stock and issue of indents, Patient status and discharge summary sheet. Out-Patient is received in the OPD Block, registered and counseled to contact particular department depending on their complaints. Consultant in particular OP attends the patients, advice and direct to laboratories if further investigations are necessary. After reporting of results, the patient is asked to re-consult the consultant. If further investigations are required he/she will be admitted in the concerned departments. According to the clinical status of patient he/she may be transferred to another department through transfer-in and transfer-out. Medicines, surgical and general items whenever required in the ward are done through raising the Indent by In charge Nurse as indent form. Based on the requirement of the particular department required items are delivered in the Pharmacy after documentation. Results of Particular investigations will be sent by the particular laboratory to the concerned department after entering into the terminal and the result can be displayed in the department itself. At the time of discharge, the Patient will be provided discharge summary sheet containing details of procedure s, mode of treatment, and list of medicines to be administered. Services rendered for patient care is billed in the billing section. After treatment Patients will be discharged and advised the mode of medication.

Adequate measures are taken to ensure security and confidentiality such as restricted permission for documents to enable utilization by authorized users. Hospital information is stored in tapes daily and weekly to avoid loss of data. Many of the problems surface due to mishandling and lack of computer literacy among users.

The only disadvantage of this system is images cannot be transferred. The HMIS used in SVIMS is cost effective, user friendly and suitable at tertiary care in developing countries like INDIA.

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