eHealth

eHealth in South Australia

eHealth describes an electronic health record system that will electronically record, store and transmit your health information in one secure and trusted environment. The goal is to improve the safety and quality of your health care.

As part of the State Government’s health reform agenda, SA Health is developing Australia’s first fully integrated state-wide electronic health record (EHR) system. 

The EHR will improve communications for patients, doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and other health care professionals within the public health system by streamlining and interconnecting information systems.

The key enablers of eHealth in South Australia are:

Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS)

The implementation of EPAS is SA Health’s most significant e-Health reform program by its scale and impact, with an investment of $408 million over the next 10 years.

The EPAS program will form the foundation for the EHR by connecting a patient’s health record across all public hospitals and health services.

As part of the implementation of the EPAS, SA Health will be creating a unique identifier number for each patient. This will be an interim measure until the national unique health identifiers are complete.

Bedside computers

The installation of bedside computers in public hospitals commenced in late 2011. 

Bedside computers have now been installed and are fully operational for patient entertainment in 12 hospitals: 

• Flinders Medical Centre
• Lyell McEwin Hospital
• Modbury Hospital
• Mount Gambier District Health Service
• Noarlunga Health Service
• Port Augusta Hospital
• Port Pirie Hospital
• Repatriation General Hospital
• Royal Adelaide Hospital
• The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
• Whyalla Hospital and Health Service
• Women's and Children's Hospital.

The bedside computers will provide staff with another access point to EPAS, at the point of care.