Australia’s Chris O’Brien Lifehouse (COBL), one of the world’s leading cancer hospitals, has achieved another step in its clinical transformation journey by implementing electronic medication management (eMeds) within its inpatient setting, which includes MEDITECH Expanse’s e-Prescribing, Point of Care, and Bedside Verification solutions. The launch of these solutions within the Expanse platform, brings new levels of patient safety and efficiency in medication ordering and administration.
As a long-time customer, COBL was the first hospital in Australia to implement MEDITECH's advanced clinical solutions. Now, it is also one of the first hospitals in Australia to implement bedside medication verification.
The move to electronic medication workflows, named the MEDITECH eMeds project, has allowed the hospital to achieve closed-loop medication management, which has improved patient safety and care and reduced the cognitive burden on medical staff.
Doctors can set up pre-configured order sentences and order sets, improving the prescribing process, and the view of the EMR is now consistent across the board, giving nurses and all other end-users the same view as doctors, improving documentation and enhancing communication across care teams. Nurses use barcode scanning at the point of medicine administration, validating medicine information against the patient’s electronic medical record and ensuring the “Five Rights” of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time.
In addition, Expanse Point of Care provides nurses with the ability to use a handheld device to perform all of their key functions, such as viewing worklists, accessing lab results, reviewing and acknowledging orders, and documenting — all in real time at the patient’s bedside. The increased efficiencies allow for more quality time with patients, and the streamlined processes make care at the bedside less disruptive.
COBL’s Clinical Projects Manager, Cailin Lowry explains the importance of understanding the impact of change on clinical staff. “Change management was a top priority,” she said. “The project steering committee, which included nursing management, played a pivotal role in reviewing and mitigating risks and issues throughout the implementation process.”
In the weeks leading up to the go-live date, project leaders prioritised consistent communication and training. This included weekly meetings with staff, managers, and educators, as well as holding huddles on the ward, to ensure that everyone was well-prepared and confident in using the new system.
"The MEDITECH eMeds project has been a success and has been embraced by our nursing staff, whose active involvement in key decision-making throughout the project was crucial,” said COBL Director of Clinical Operations Catherine Lambert. “We are excited about the future, with accessible data empowering us to enhance patient care. This initiative highlights our dedication to innovation and excellence in healthcare, promising continued improvements in patient outcomes."
Essential to the large integrated cancer centre’s digital strategy has been the ability to leverage the flexibility of the Expanse platform to advance the hospital’s level of digital maturity, as part of its robust EMR transformation.
“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the collaborative efforts of clinical leadership, the clinical applications team, and the team at MEDITECH Australia,” said Lowry. “This project highlights the importance of teamwork and strategic planning in achieving significant technological advancements in healthcare.”
Douglas Murray, the Managing Director of MEDITECH Asia Pacific, expressed his pride in the longstanding partnership. “We are excited to work alongside Chris O'Brien Lifehouse to provide innovative tools for managing the specialized needs and workflows of advanced cancer care.”
Hear from COBL CIO Peter Singer as he explains how their Expanse journey is transforming the way clinicians deliver treatments in cancer care.
