An evaluation of the Better Meds pilot at Taranaki DHB’s Hāwera Hospital shows the electronic medication management solution is an “excellent option for further roll-out into the Te Manawa Taki region”, a DHB update says. @KristyDarbyshire@tracey.watson
The positive evaluation means the HealthShare eMeds project team has started work on a Better Meds Business Case for the Bay of Plenty DHB, followed closely by Tairāwhiti DHB, to replace their current paper-based medicines management system. Read more here
This is wonderful to hear! It is no mean feat to introduce a new eMedicines solution to New Zealand. The sheer amount of work to get it up and running in our context is astonishing, and these guys have done a great job.
I was lucky enough to be able to go and take a look last year:
The Te Manawa Taki project has done an excellent job in following the right HISO-endorsed standards to record allergies and adverse reactions, including NZ Medicines Terminology (NZMT) and, for non-drug allergens, SNOMED CT. Do you have any detail you’d like to share @KristyDarbyshire and @angelarobinwhite
Better Meds & Allergies, via Alcidion’s Patientrack, supports Users to record structured Allergy Data, facilitating decision support and downstream interoperability. The Te Manawa Taki Better Meds Pilot included:
Utilising New Zealand Medicines Terminology (Medicinal Products, Trade Products) and New Zealand Formulary (Medicine Groups) to allow End Users to define SNOMED coded drug-allergens. Clinical engagement allowed the Drug Allergen selection lists to be refined, such that brand-based rules could be included, and non-allergen NZMT products (such as devices) be excluded to improve User experience.
Additionally, the Better Meds Pilot consumed the NZ Substance Common Allergen Reference Set, provided by the NZ SNOMED CT National Release Centre, so that common non-drug allergens (such as “Shellfish”) can be captured in a codified manner.
Allergen reactions are populated using the New Zealand Adverse Reaction Manifestation Reference Set, also provided by the NZ SNOMED CT National Release Centre. This allows Users to search for, and define 1 or more appropriate codified reactions for each allergy/sensitivity recorded.
Better Meds utilises the NZF-API to allow real-time allergy alerting, should a User prescribe a medication that a Patient has a SNOMED coded allergy (same or related item, via the NZF Medicine Groups)
