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19 JAN 2012
The obstetrics unit of Matlab Health Research Centre is the latest icddr,b department to adopt the SHEBA hospital management computing system. With this technology, Matlab becomes the first hospital in rural Bangladesh to go completely paperless. Now, information can flow freely throughout the centre by way of electronic devices such as the PDAs and computers made available to staff and researchers.   Â
Pioneers in technology
icddr,b has been at the forefront of using technology to manage information flow both within the Dhaka Hospital in Mohakhali, as well as at the Matlab Health Research Centre. In 2008, the Dhaka Hospital was the first hospital in all of Bangladesh to go paperless when it introduced SHEBA to better handle information flow within the hospital. Soon after, these services were extended to Matlab, where they have improved patient care and allowed researchers better access to medical records and case studies.
Matlab joins the revolution
“The Matlab obstetric unit went paperless in a bid to be more efficient in recording all clinical activities and day-to-day monitoring for women and children attending the hospital,” explained icddr,b Medical Director Dr. Mark Pietroni
“Good quality electronic records can have an immediate positive impact on health services provided to our patients. For example, a patient in a Matlab sub-centre will now have her records made instantly available to a doctor at Matlab Hospital, and as a result, the quality of treatment they receive will be improved.”
Patients reap in the rewards
Rokeya Rahman and her daughter were early beneficiaries of Matlab’s adaption of paperless technology. “My daughter has a rare congenital problem with her lungs that the doctors here really don’t know much about,” explained Ms. Rahman. “Thankfully, we sent her reports and symptoms electronically to Dhaka Hospital, and the doctors were able to identify her problems at once. I did not have to take my daughter to Dhaka, as once the problem was diagnosed properly, she started receiving the proper care.”
Plans for the future
Dr. Pietroni believes that incorporating Dhaka and Matlab hospitals under SHEBA is just a start. “There have been talks by the Government of Bangladesh about linking most national hospitals with a common database. If that happens, icddr,b will be ready to share our research findings and knowledge with other hospitals in the country. Patients would benefit by having more options for treatment open to them,” said Dr. Pietroni.
In fact, a seamless interlink of technology could go beyond the existing internal SHEBA system as technology connects icddr,b resources and knowledge with other similar centres around the world. “Having a strong, technology-based information-sharing system will make our interactions between donor agencies, large businesses and philanthropic individuals from around the world more transparent. Technology enables us to open doors that were previously shut to us,” explained Dr. Pietroni.
icddr’b’s adaption of technology is consistent with its commitment to provide the best possible care for its patients, while at the same time providing researchers with access to the best quality data and information.
For more information, please contact Dr Mark Pietroni
