The Retirement & Healthcare Coalition said the project, composed of the American, European, Japanese and South Korean chambers in the country, is part of initiatives to make the Philippines a preferred haven for foreign retirees.

Foreign Chambers are now working with hospitals in the Philippines to institutionalize a system that would allow all patients in the country to get hold of their medical records anywhere at any given time.

The Retirement & Healthcare Coalition (RHC), composed of the American European, Japanese and South Korean chambers, said the project is part of initiatives to make the Philippines a preferred haven for foreign retirees.

RHC has involved the Lifeline Medical Systems in developing an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) scheme so that updated records of patients can be readily made available by local hospitals.

“We are looking at the middle of next year to compare the initial phase of the project. It will be the first of its kind in the Philippines and it will allow patients to access their medical records on a real-time basis,” RHC Executive Director Marc Daubenbuechel said on Wednesday.

Among the hospitals that indicated interest to participate in the project are Southern Luzon Hospitals and Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City, Lorma Medical Center, Home Health Care, Southern Philippines Medicak Center, Clinica Manila/ Ambulatory Healthcare Institute Inc., Ardi Health Services-Ardi Specialty Clinics Inc., Dr.Pablo o. Torre Memorial Hospital, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Healthway Medical, Unihealth-Baypointe Hospital and Medical Center and The Medical City.

According to Daubenbuechel, The Medical City provides patients with a card that stores all their medical records, but the patients can only use the information contained for their health visits to the hospitals.

“At present, in most of the hospitals, the medical records are owned by the hospitals, the medical records are owned by the hospital, not by the patients. It is something that we want to change,” he said.

Daubenbuechel added that they are creating a system that is transferrable and readily available in any hospital across the country.

“It is within the patient’s rights to seek the best medical treatment possible from hospitals and doctors they are most comfortable with. Having their EMRs available anywhere will make that process possible,” Daubenbuechel said.

But getting most of the hospitals in the country into a single network, he allowed, is still dependent on several factors, including current systems being used by the hospitals, insurance coverage and the project cost.

RHC is holding a seminar today, dubbed “Patient Centered Healthcare: A Promising approach for the Philippine Healthcare Industry,” to further discuss the importance of proper care of patients in the country.

Expected to attend are hospital administrators, clinic and laboratory heads, medical practitioners and officials of the Department of Health.

The RHC conducted six seminars on various health topics in June. It has been a partner of the government in the promotion of the country as a primary destination for the world’s aging population.  

Source: Business Mirror; Second Front Page; 4 October 2012