Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ18: Chinese Medicine Information System

Following is a question by the Hon Tsang Yok-sing and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (Apr 18):

Question:

It has been learnt that currently there are Chinese medicine clinics (CMCs) in Hong Kong using the Chinese Medicine Information System (CMIS) for storing clinical data on patient records and diseases in computers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

(a) the number of CMCs currently using CMIS and the numbers of Chinese medicine practitioners and patients involved; whether the authorities concerned have set a target participation rate for the system; if they have, of the progress and whether they have assessed if the target can be met;

(b) whether the authorities concerned will consider extending the scope of application of CMIS (such as allowing CMCs of local universities to join); and

(c) whether the authorities concerned plan to link up CMIS and the Electronic Patient Record Sharing Pilot Project launched by the Hospital Authority for collecting records of patients who consult either Chinese or western medicine practitioners, so as to enable Chinese and western medicine practitioners to jointly explore ways to prevent and cure diseases?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) The Hospital Authority (HA) has so far established a total of nine public Chinese medicine clinics (CMCs). For the provision of services in these CMCs, a tripartite model has been adopted whereby the HA collaborates with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and a university in each of the clinics. The main purpose for the HA to install the Chinese Medicine Information System (CMIS) at public CMCs is to enable these CMCs to keep a record of patients' information and medical history systematically and efficiently, so as to facilitate the collection of clinical information, overall management, audit and research. In addition to recording patients' information, the CMIS is also equipped with the functions of registering appointment booking, and processing fee payment and procurement of Chinese medicines.

At present, there are a total of eight public CMCs installed with the CMIS developed by the HA. With the assistance of the HA, the CMIS is also installed in the Hong Kong Baptist University Mr & Mrs Chan Hon Yin Chinese Medicine Specialty Clinic & Good Clinical Practice Centre, which was established in October last year. A total of 142 Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs) have used the CMIS, involving 38 916 patients. As for the remaining one public CMC, it is installed with an information system developed by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGH). The number of CMPs who have used the TWGH's system and the number of patients involved are 25 and 20 916 respectively. Since the TWGH also runs other CMCs (outside the HA's system) and has developed its own information system, the same system has thus been installed in the public CMC that the TWGH operates, so as to facilitate the follow-up of patients. This system can also efficiently record patients' information. Nevertheless, in order to standardise the information to be collected by the two systems, the HA maintains liaison with the TWGH to co-ordinate the operation of the two systems.

While the CMIS enables patients' information to be recorded systematically, the information and data kept in the CMIS can facilitate universities' researches into Chinese medicines. Our goal is to extend the use of the system to all HA's CMCs with a view to enhancing the standards of their modern operation and management. The system is now in use in eight of the nine public CMCs. We plan to further implement this system in our new clinics. Meanwhile, the Clinic Management Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the HA and NGOs, will keep the operation of the clinics under regular review and identify the necessary improvements for further upgrading of the system.

(b) The HA will actively consider helping other organisations (particularly the universities and NGOs that are in collaboration with the HA) set up the CMIS in their clinics. As mentioned in paragraph (a), the CMIS has also been installed in the Hong Kong Baptist University Mr & Mrs Chan Hon Yin Chinese Medicine Specialty Clinic & Good Clinical Practice Centre with the assistance of the HA.

(c) In 2006, the HA introduced the Electronic Patient Record Sharing Pilot Project, aiming at assessing the technical feasibility and stakeholders' acceptance of sharing of electronic medical records between public and private sectors. The Project is currently run on a trial basis. Under this Pilot Project, participating private hospitals, medical practitioners, elderly homes and other relevant institutions are allowed to view their patients' medical records kept at the HA upon their patients' consent but they cannot make any alteration or addition to any medical record. The HA also cannot have access to the patients' medical records in private medical institutions under this Pilot Project.

On the other hand, HA's clinical information systems for Chinese and western medicines are currently two separate systems. In other words, information of patients of the CMCs cannot be found in the clinical information system for western medicine. To include the CMIS in the Pilot Project, professional collaboration between Chinese and western medicines and technical problems must first be resolved. Besides, the inclusion of the CMIS in the Pilot Project needs to involve the participation of private CMPs. At present, information technology is yet to be widely used in the Chinese medicine sector. Hence, it is still premature to launch any electronic patient record sharing project in the Chinese medicine sector.

In light of the above, the HA has no immediate plan to include the CMIS in the Electronic Patient Record Sharing Pilot Project. That said, it is still the long-term goal of the HA to further develop the interface between Chinese and western medicines. In this connection, the HA will take an active role in the planning of clinical research projects under the premise of developing "evidence-based" Chinese medicine, so as to enable Chinese and western medicine practitioners to jointly explore ways to prevent and cure diseases.


Ends/Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:31

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