Electronic patient care report now live in all Cork ambulance stations

<p class=”Pa6″>More than 4,000 electronic patient records have been generated to date, according to the NAS. The EPCR will be intro­duced in Kerry and the south east region shortly, it is understood.

<p class=”Pa6″>The EPCR enables all patient information to be captured electronically in a standardised manner via a tablet computer.

<p class=”Pa6″>It is being rolled-out nationally to enable clinical audit practices in keeping with HIQA requirements and moves away from paper-based reporting.

<p class=”Pa6″>Implementation of the EPCR was originally due to be com­pleted by the end of last year, but is still ongoing. Trials of the EPCR first commenced within the NAS in 2005.

<p class=”Pa6″>The new service ensures that “no information is ever lost — it is stored securely and in line with data protection and data governance arrangements”, the NAS said.

<p class=”Pa6″>“Data is sent to the receiving location (hospital) within seconds of entry (signal-dependant) and whilst the patient is in transit.”

<p class=”Pa6″>The EPCR will give the NAS the ability to analyse clinical performance and will provide information on patient demo­graphics, presentations and outcomes.

Mallow Ambulance Station in Cork was the first station to have the EPCR, with other stations in the area following suit. The EPCR is to undergo a phased roll-out nationally over ap­proximately 12-to-18 months.