INDUSTRY WATCH
sought to find a way to increase influenza
vaccinations as part of a global strategy to
minimise potential outbreaks.
“2018 was the 100th anniversary of the
Spanish flu which killed 50 million people
worldwide. The World Health Organisation
considers influenza vaccination as a major
strategy to combat the next pandemic,” said
Muntazar Bashir, KFSH&RC, MD, Jeddah
Chairman of Family Medicine. “Moreover, we
chose this crucial issue because the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia has millions of pilgrims
coming from all over the world, all year
round, with the potential to bring infections.
As a tertiary care hospital, all of our patients
are vulnerable to infectious diseases and
influenza in particular.”
In February 2014, the hospital introduced a
health maintenance tab (HMT) within the
Cerner Millennium electronic health record
to remind providers to offer preventative
KFSH&RC utilised clinical decision support to
identify patients as potential candidates for
cancer screenings.
The information appeared in the HMT,
making it easy for providers to quickly see
if a patient should receive a screening.
In addition, with just one click from the
physician, they can enter the necessary order,
making the entire process more user friendly.
The number of FOB screening orders
increased 59%, while the number of
mammograms tests ordered increased 30%.
These interventions yielded huge increases
in early-stage cancer detection for impacted
patients.
“The minute they see abnormal results in the
procedures or the tests, we go to the second
cycle of management,” said KFSH&RC
(Riyadh) Chairman of Family Medicine,
Abdullah Alkhenizan, MD.
WE STREAMLINED THE
FLOW OF COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN PATIENTS,
NURSES, PHYSICIANS AND
SUPPORTING STAFF.
KFSH&RC is already a HIMSS O-EMRAM
7 for its ambulatory facilities and HIMSS
EMRAM 6 in its inpatient facilities.
Winning the HIMSS Enterprise Davies
award showcases its steps to innovate
patient care delivery, automate the flow
of information and eliminate manual
processes to deliver safer care.
KFSH&RC Chief Information Officer,
Osama Al Swailem, MD, MA said, “I
have always looked at the HIMSS
Davies Award as being a podium in
which health organisations share
their experience and knowledge with
the greater healthcare community.
KFSH&RC is proud to be a national
and international healthcare ‘advisor’
in this regard and you will find us to be
a very receptive organisation. This is
how you exponentially improve the
quality of care.”
“To summarise the main reason King
Faisal Specialist and Research Centre
undertook these important patient safety
and care quality initiatives, we always
reference a verse from the Holy Quran
that translates, ‘Whoever saves one life
– it is as if he had saved all of mankind,’”
said Fahad Bin Dayel, RN, MS, Director,
KSFH&RC Applications and Health
Informatics Services. •
services. Upon opening a patient’s chart,
physicians received a notice to remind
patients to get the influenza vaccine. Over
four years, the hospital increased influenza
vaccination rates by 304%.
Cancer screenings for colorectal and
breast cancer
With breast cancer as the most common
form of cancer among Saudi women,
an analysis at KFSH&RC found that
mammograms were often ordered too early
or too late and not targeted toward the
right patients.
The analysis also looked at colorectal
cancer, one of the most common forms
of cancer among Saudi men, and found
deficiencies in the fecal occult blood (FOB)
screenings as well.
74 INTELLIGENTCIO
www.intelligentcio.com