World Exclusive Interview with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lynphyl Software Limited, Philip Okpala from Canada on Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

 

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is relatively new in Nigeria, though the latest in e-health across the globe

as it tells the health professional at a click of a button the health history of a patient. This is the technology, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lynphyl Software Limited; Philip Okpala is bringing to Nigeria from Canada.
Last weekend Okpala, a lawyer held ‘’EHRNG Software lunch and learn’’ where over 50 professionals from the medical field –doctors, nurses and pharmacists were tutored on the import of the Lynphyl Software Limited for record keeping in the health care delivery as its benefits far outweigh paper records.
This is an excerpt of an interview by www.odogwublog.com CEO Odogwu Emeka Odogwu with Philip Okpala on arrival from Canada for the ‘EHRNG Software lunch and learn’ in Anambra state:
 What kinds of services will your software offer to patients and health care practitioners including but not limited to physicians, pharmacists and laboratory scientists in Nigeria?

 My name is Philip Okpala, I am a Lawyer by training and I am the CEO of Lynphyl Software Limited, a technology company based in Canada. We are specialized in Health care data management. A few years ago we decided to expand our business to the subcontinent and we agreed to start a pilot project for the adoption and implementation of Electronic Healthcare Records (EHRs) in Nigeria. We were very discouraged by what we met on ground as a result of poor infrastructure including but not limited to very poor electricity supply, crippling slow internet speed and illiteracy.
We have slowly but steadily tackled most of the difficulties we encountered in the course of the project by devising other means of achieving even greater results in the face of very adverse conditions. Today we are happy to announce the birthing of the EHRNG Software. EHRNG Software offers electronic healthcare records (EHRs) system to both hospitals and their affiliated physician practices as well as to large group practices, Pharmacies and Medical laboratories. Our goal is to have the entire country under one healthcare ecosystem. We look ahead 18-36 months so that we can prepare our clients for the future. As you can imagine, this is a huge task ahead for us, it has been a busy year for us, but we are ready for the challenges ahead.

 What exactly is Electronic Healthcare Records (EHRs)?

An electronic health record (EHR) is an official health record for an individual that is shared among multiple facilities and agencies. Years ago, doctors and other healthcare practitioners had no choice but to put pen to paper for health records. They had to keep records by hand and then employ staff to deal with the mountains of paperwork and filing. Accessing these records proved time-consuming, and sometimes they were misplaced or damaged. With EHRNG Software, health practitioners have the option of using electronic health records (EHRs) instead.

EHRNG also allow a patient's health record to move with them—to other health care providers, specialists, hospitals, nursing homes, and even across states. Busy practices are always looking for ways to save time and put more focus on patient care. EHRNG eliminate a good deal of paperwork, and cut down on time staff members spend filing and retrieving patient information.

How will adopting electronic health record help improve patients care?

With electronic health records (EHRs), patients' health information is available in one place, when and where it is needed, so you can do a better job of managing patient care and improving health care quality. One of the main benefits of electronic health records is all providers involved in a patient's care can access, enter, and share information in an EHR. Ready access to a comprehensive patient record will allow practitioners to improve care coordination and communicate with patients. With more comprehensive health information at your fingertips, you can make better testing, diagnostic, and treatment decisions.

The key highlights are; Convenience: With paper charts, a staff member has to be in the same location as the records in order to access them. With EHRNG, practitioners can access charts when they’re away from the office. The benefits of this flexibility become clear in medical emergencies and consultations, as it encourages an efficient care coordination process.
Ease of communication: EHRNG provide an electronic network through which doctors and staff members can send and check referrals, handle billing, and send and receive messages from patients, other doctors, pharmacies, medical laboratories and staff members. These systems also allow patients to set and cancel appointments, and practices to send out appointment reminders — making it easy for practices to manage and adjust schedules.
Safer prescribing: Prescription medication interactions and allergies can present a real threat to a patient’s health. EHRNG can alert doctors when a prescription could be dangerous for a patient. They compare the newly prescribed medication with the information in the patient’s health record. If the prescription could cause a negative interaction with the patient’s other medication, or if it’s likely to provoke an allergic reaction, the system sends an alert to avoid a serious complications.

Improved care coordination: Too often, patients are subjected to repeat tests and examinations simply because multiple practitioners are involved in their care, each keeping a separate health record. With EHRNG, each doctor can, with the patient’s permission, have access to the complete medical record, including any diagnoses, tests, and examinations recorded by other providers. This gives a practitioner a complete overview of the patient’s health and helps ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate care.

What are you hearing from doctors and medical groups about EHR adoption?

Some, who were already considering an investment in healthcare data management are moving ahead more aggressively with planning, adoption, training and implementation, others are still on the fence. It’s not uncommon for electronic health record (EHR) software implementation to be met with some resistance. After all, transitioning from a paper-based environment to one reliant on an electronic system can be daunting for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, Medical laboratory scientists and other staff. Converting to an EHR doesn’t have to be something a practice dreads, however. With proper training, staff can learn even the most complicated systems.

What is the most common question or issue that you get?

Hahaha. What will it cost?

You seem to have pre-empted me there, how is the project implementation funded because I can imagine that this will involve millions of naira?

In today’s world of complexity and rapid pace it is almost impossible to do anything alone. This is especially true in health where constantly rising prices, changing disease patterns, and increasing use of sophisticated technology for diagnosis and treatment have made it virtually impossible to imagine any single organization providing services without some type of institutional partnership.

 These partnerships may take many forms, ranging from global partnerships between multinational companies and multilateral donors to local partnerships between private physicians and government clinics. The partners, too, may vary from private—for—profit companies, not—for—profit organizations, governments, donor organizations, to community groups. Partnerships may vary in terms of financing from millions of naira to the sharing of non-financial resources. However, all partnerships have one thing in common: they have come about because both partners believe they have something to gain from the partnership agreement.

What is the Cost of implementing EHRNG SOFTWARE?

There is not a country in the world where healthcare is financed entirely by the government. While the provision of health care is widely recognized as the responsibility of government, private capital and expertise are increasingly viewed as welcome sources to induce efficiency and innovation. As PPPs move from financing infrastructure to managing care delivery, there is an opportunity to reduce overall cost of healthcare. We are proposing that the same approach be used in most States for the implementation.

A health services PPP can be described as a long-term contract between a public-sector authority and one or more private sector companies operating as a legal entity. The government provides the strength of its purchasing power, outlines goals for an optimal health system, and empowers private enterprise to innovate, build, maintain and/or manage delivery of agreed-upon services over the term of the contract. The private sector receives payment for its services and assumes substantial financial, technical and operational risk while benefitting from the upside potential of shared cost savings.

Any surprises?

Once physicians adopt EHRNG Software, even the most vocal original naysayers would never practice without one because of its efficient and effective decisions about patients care. It is equally good for its improved aggregation, analysis and communication of patients information , clinical alerts and reminders as well as support for diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.  The benefits are legion.

Photo

1 Philip Okpala addressing the participants

2 Philip and Managing Director of EHRNG

3 Philip addressing the medical personnel

4 Philip and younger brother Ifeanyi Okpala, MD/CEO of Zanzibar Nigeria limited

5 Philip in a group photo with MD Nigeria of EHRNG (female extreme right) and leaders of Pharmaceuticals Association, Medical Association and Ministry Director 

6 Philip with a guest as MD looks on from behind