HIMSS Analytics Asia announced that King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh and Jeddah, has achieved Stage 6 on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center has been recognized for meeting all criteria for a Stage 6 hospital in the deployment and use of clinical information technology to improve patient safety, quality and efficiency. HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0-7), hospitals can review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment. Putting the achievement into perspective, as of Q4 2011, just 5.2% of more than 5,300 hospitals in the United States tracked by HIMSS Analytics had reached Stage 6 on its EMRAM. “King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center is clearly leading the way on EMR adoption,” said John Hoyt, Executive Vice President, Organizational Services, for HIMSS. “Stage 6 represents an advanced level of sophistication and puts King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center literally in a league of its own in the Middle East and amongst the top 5% globally.” King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center has deployed several very strategic clinical applications which have been shown to improve quality and safety, such as: Computerized Practitioner Order Entry (CPOE) where physicians enter patient orders directly into the clinical information system which interacts with an intelligent clinical decision support system Physician Documentation supported by clinical decision support Closed Loop Medication Administration with the use of bar codes to verify the right medication for the right patient at the right time in the right strength and form Nursing Documentation online with some direct medical device connectivity for physiologic vital sign capturing. There is increasing evidence that points to significant safety and quality improvements with clinical information systems. Further, health authorities are also finding that recruiting and retaining staff has improved by adopting a modern clinical computing environment. “As the first recipient of this prestigious accolade in the region, the hospital has demonstrated once again its constant focus on electronic health records to enhance still further the quality of care and clinical outcomes for our patients, “ said Professor Qasim Alqasabi, CEO, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. The King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre will be honored with their Stage 6 Award at the HIMSS Middle East Conference & Leadership Summit which takes place at the new Rocco Forte hotel in Abu Dhabi on May 20
