I wrote previously about the Signapore government accepting proposals for a national EHR. Today I got the news that Accenture has been contracted to implement the Singapore National Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Obviously Accenture is a big name and a big group. I’ll be interested to learn which EHR software system they plan to implement to create the national EHR system. International EMR movement like this is very interesting.

Here’s the press release from Accenture about the announcement.

Accenture Wins Contract to Implement Singapore’s National Electronic Health Record System

SINGAPORE; Aug. 2, 2010 – The Singapore Ministry of Health has awarded Accenture (NYSE: ACN) a contract to implement the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system, a key enabler of Singapore’s vision toward a national, integrated health care system. The NEHR is designed to improve the quality of healthcare for citizens, lower the costs of health services, and promote more effective health policies.

Under the NEHR, key medical information such as patient demographics, allergies, clinical diagnoses, medication history, radiology reports, laboratory investigations and discharge summaries will be exchangeable among healthcare providers. Patients also may benefit from proper, right-sited disease management and cost savings, as duplicate or unnecessary tests are eliminated and medication errors are reduced.

“As the centerpiece of Singapore’s connected health vision, the NEHR is intended to provide a holistic view of a patient’s health information. With this market-leading offering, health care providers can have the right information at the right time to make the best care decisions,” said Stephen J. Rohleder, group chief executive of Accenture’s Health & Public Service operating group. “We congratulate the Ministry of Health for taking this bold step to create a new foundation to help support meaningful advances to Singapore’s health care system.”

The National Electronic Health Record vision – “One Singaporean, One Health Record” – was previously announced by Singapore Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan. With the initial system release in April 2011, Singapore will be one of the first countries in the world to implement a national electronic health record system.

The Accenture team includes Oracle, Orion Health, Initiate Systems, Inc., and Hewlett-Packard.

UPDATE:
Mark told us who will be providing the software for the Singapore EHR in the comments. EHR Software is being delivered by 3 Partners;

Oracle’s HTB is the core Clinical Data Repository
Initiate is providing the Master Patient Index; and
Orion Health the Clinical Viewer & Messaging fabric using their Concerto & Rhapsody products.

Today, I thought it would be interesting to list the meaningful use final rule comments that I know of and to invite my readers to tell me about other meaningful use final rule commentary that they know about. Just reply in the comments of this post or on the EMR and EHR contact us page and I’ll update this post with all the meaningful use final rule resources we can find.

Full Meaningful Use Final Rule, Press Conference Video and EMR and HIPAA MU Thoughts
Comparing the Preliminary Meaningful Use Rule to the Final Meaningful Use Rule Done by Inga from HISTalk and a great resource.
List of Meaningful Use Webinars – Done by EMR and HIPAA
Everything HITECH Analysis of Meaningful Use
Advice on Addressing Meaningful Use – Good advice from the Healthcare IT guy on not being in a hurry to address meaningful use.
Interview with David Blumenthal About Meaningful Use
Mr. HISTalk and John Glaser Reactions to MU (have to scroll down a bit to see the obligatory meaningful use section)
Meaningful Use and It’s Impact on Physician Productivity
HISTalk Initial Comments and Reactions to MU – Just read the comments on this one.
Summary of Meaningful Use Announcement and Rule
CMS Page on Meaningful Use
Meaningful Use Final Rules Are a Big Deal – Wm. T. Oravecz Take on Meaningful Use Final Rule on HITECH Answers
David Blumenthal’s Thoughts on Meaningful Use
John Halamka’s Summary of Meaningful Use Final Rule Changes
Halamka’s Presentation on the Meaningful Use Final Rule
Summary and Other Meaningful Use Documents – The Summary Chart that’s embedded on this is an interesting one. Too bad it’s partially cut off on my screen.
Summary of the 2 Reginas and Meaningful Use – Matthew Holt talks about the 2 Reginas that spoke about Meaningful Use of an EHR
Chilmark Research Quick Meaningful Use Analysis – An always insightful look at healthcare IT
The Fox Group’s Thoughts on Where to Go from Here

I’m sure that there are plenty more. If you know of some good ones, let me know and I’ll add them to the list.

This just came in. The wait is finally over. I guess I know what I’m doing tomorrow.

CMS AND ONC TO ISSUE FINAL RULES ON MEANINGFUL USE AND STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION FOR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS INCENTIVE PROGRAM

WHAT: CMS and ONC will host a press briefing to announce the final rules on Meaningful Use and Standards and Certification under the HITECH Act’s Electronic Health Records (EHR) incentive program.

WHO: Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Donald Berwick, M.D, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Administrator
David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A, Surgeon General

Dial In: Call in: 800-857-6748
Verbal Passcode: HHS

To watch the webcast live visit www.hhs.gov/live

I’m always fascinated by the various EMR initiatives that are happening around the world. I think there’s a lot to learn from other countries that are smaller and have different healthcare systems which don’t cause the same problems we have in the US. One project I heard about recently has the Singapore government inviting EMR vendors to make a proposal for a Singapore EMR system. Here’s some details of what Singapore’s doing from Future Gov.

The Singapore government is inviting vendors to submit proposals to ‘design, develop, supply, deliver, install, test, commission and support’ a clinical management system (CMS) cum electronic medical record (EMR) system for general practitioners.
…
The GP Clinic Electronic Medical Record and Operation System (“Project CLEO”), will comprise of a CMS and a GP-oriented EMR, with the focus of ‘facilitating better quality and safer patient care in addition to optimizing clinic operations for better and more efficient patient service’, according to the Information Systems Division of Ministry of Health Holdings (MOHH), subsidiary of the Ministry of Health which takes care of the country’s public hospitals.

MOHH is also responsible for the development of the country’s National Electronic Health Record (EHR), an ambitious project to realise ‘one patient, one record’ in the island-state.

Sounds like an ambitious and very interesting EMR project. If you know of other EMR projects happening around the world, please let me know.