Correspondent
26 August 2004
Nairobi — Healthcare workers In East Africa can now use new computer technologies to offer cheaper and affordable medical services.
In a new technology developed by American companies, health institutions are using the Internet and the increasing availability of high-speed access to it; small, affordable, powerful computer hardware and peripheral devices to improve their services.
The two technologies, CureMD and PulseMD, are offered in Kenya by Todays Online and enable the financial, administrative, and clinical process programmes and all customers' office files and records to be accessed centrally.
All the practice and patient records, files, and the programmes are accessed via the Internet. This means the office must have a computer, Internet access, and browser software, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Todays Online marketing manager, Mr Samuel Njenga, says using CureMD's Internet system physicians access records and information outside the office. For instance, while making hospital rounds, a physician can enter notes into a patient's record as long as a computer with Internet access is available. Alternatively, an offsite billing and collection service can have restricted access to files in order to prepare bills and post collections to patient accounts.
Mr Njenga says the programme provides systemwide scheduling, including inter-office E-mail and reminders; quick access (from anywhere via the Internet) to patient charts by name and by condition; online case documentation; a billing function that automatically links procedure and diagnosis codes and also prepares superbills; electronic claims processing; financial management; patient statement preparation; and patient insurance verification.
Similarly patients, via the Internet, can request an appointment or a prescription, retrieve certain information, and check on billing matters.
On the other hand, Njenga says PulseMD combines computer and telecommunications hardware to reduce the flow of paper generated in a doctor's office from his patients.
It includes an information appliance that stores patient information in-house and acts as a gateway for sending and receiving transactions over the Internet or by fax, with the protection of security software called a firewall.
It connects to the existing computer network in the medical office and uploads information directly into the practice management system. In effect, the office now has its own intranet.
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