Systematic partners with Nordic expert in electronic health record systems for ambulance and rescue services
Danish ambulances and emergency doctor’s vehicles are due to have a new health record system, and Systematic has therefore entered into a partnership with the Norwegian software company Bliksund, which is behind the pre-hospital solution that is being used with great success in ambulances and helicopters in Norway.
When the five Danish regions are expected to launch a Danish tender for a new digital pre-hospital patient health record system in 2023, Systematic is ready to bid to supply the solution with a new partner, the Norwegian company Bliksund.
“Bliksund has developed a ground-breaking ambulance health record system (emergency worker assistant (EWA)), which swept the board when Norway’s regions had to have a new pre-hospital health record system in 2019. The solution has been developed in close collaboration with ambulance personnel, and in Norway, where the solution has been implemented, it scores top marks at supporting pre-hospital workflows as well as for its user-friendliness and technology,” says Henrik Jespersen, Group Senior Vice President, Sales, from Systematic.
Time and IT solutions can tip the balance between life and death
Systematic is behind the Danish electronic health record (EHR) system Columna CIS, which is in use in the three regions in west Denmark, and in the care record system Cura for the care sector in Danish municipalities. In addition, the company has supplied a number of solutions for vehicles operated by the Danish Police and its administration.
“As a supplier to the health service, the Danish Police and the emergency services, we are well aware that when a person needs acute help, time is of the essence, and fully functional IT solutions can tip the balance between life and death. After having seen Bliksund’s EWA system, we are more than convinced that it would be the perfect match for Danish ambulances, emergency doctor’s vehicles, helicopters, emergency call centres and at hospitals,” says Henrik Jespersen.
He mentions that Bliksund and Systematic have several key values in common, a view shared by Janne T. Morstøl, CEO at Bliksund:
“Bliksund’s EWA has been developed by ambulance personnel for ambulance personnel. This is the same principle by which Systematic has developed its Danish EHR system for the regions – in close collaboration with doctors and nurses in the regions. Both solutions have reaped tremendous praise for their user-friendliness – which is down to the fact that they have been created by and for the people who use them," she says.
Collaboration holds considerable international potential
Even though the partnership with Bliksund is primarily about bidding for the Danish tender for a new electronic ambulance health record system, Henrik Jespersen believes it lays the groundwork for other possibilities on the international market.
“Like us, Bliksund goes out of its way to ensure that their solutions can be integrated with other systems, so sharing and receiving data happens whichever solutions are being used. This interoperability is key when we have to export our solutions to the international market,” he explains.
Systematic already supplies health and defence solutions to more than 50 countries, and here the partnership with Bliksund means that Systematic’s offering to health services in both Denmark and abroad is being expanded to also include the pre-hospital area.
“Adding a pre-hospital solution to our Columna suite is an important step towards achieving our goal of supporting an integrated health service. Treating an injured person or an acutely ill patient now starts in the ambulance or helicopter, and it is here that the first information about the patient’s condition and treatment is registered and sent to the hospital. You could say that we are in effect bringing the Accident & Emergency (A&E) admission all the way out to the injured person. In this way, our Columna solution will support the treatment of citizens at the scene of the accident, in the ambulance, during A&E reception and throughout hospital admission and until the patient is subsequently cared for and rehabilitated by a municipality,” explains Henrik Jespersen.
About Bliksund EWA for the entire emergency chain
Emergency Worker Assistant (EWA) is an electronic health record system designed for the emergency services that makes it possible to share data in real time between players throughout the emergency treatment chain. EWA increases efficiency by means of an intuitive user interface, automatic data collection from emergency call centres, medical equipment and automatic triage parameters. The data is displayed in real time at the A&E departments, so that the emergency personnel can prepare and prioritise prior to receiving the patient. By integrating easily with other systems, Bliksund EWA enables continuous care throughout the entire health service.
In 2019, Bliksund won the national tender to supply a pre-hospital health record solution for the regional health authorities in Norway – including the Norwegian air ambulance service.
The solution enables efficient health record-keeping, standardised and structured data input and output, and data sharing in real time between pre-hospital and hospitals. It saves precious time, which can be spent treating the patient.
Bliksund EWA has been developed by and in cooperation with ambulance personnel, and will be used in more than 750 ambulances and air ambulances in Norway. It consists of a tablet-based app for use in ambulances which is integrated with the medical coordination centres, and paves the way for direct communication with the A&E reception.
Danish national pre-hospital solution tender
The Danish regions are busy preparing a tender to supply a digital pre-hospital electronic health record system with associated maintenance and support for use in ambulances, emergency doctor’s vehicles, emergency medical helicopters, at the emergency medical coordination centres and at hospitals in all the regions.
