Fujitsu, a leading provider of information and communication technology (ICT)-based business solutions for the global marketplace, has announced that HOPE/EGMAIN-RX, its electronic medical record (EMR) system has been upgraded with a new function that enables outpatient clinics to cross-reference medical data with other institutions by utilizing HumanBridge, Fujitsu's SaaS-based regional medical network, and other regional medical networks.

Sales of the new upgraded version of HOPE/EGMAIN-RX has begun in Japan, a company release said.

With the added function offered by using HumanBridge, Fujitsu's regional medical network solution, or similar networks, clinics and other medical facilities will be able to cross-reference each others' patient data that each separately maintains.

As a result, the contents of a patient's medical records can be instantly confirmed from any medical institution within a region. This ability will help to avoid unnecessary duplications of diagnostic tests or drug administration. Moreover, it will support the provision of swift and accurate medical services for procedures demanding expediency, such as emergency outpatient procedures.

To provide patients with high-quality healthcare, in recent years there has been a rising need for collaboration to care for patients across regional areas. Though clinics often take on the role of the local residents' primary care physician, when they refer patients to a central hospital or a specialized treatment facility, it is often the case that the patient's medical information is not adequately communicated by telephone or email. In addition, for patients admitted to an ER, there are many cases where cross-referencing demands expediency, and smooth, swift, and accurate coordination of clinical data is essential.

To meet these needs, Fujitsu is launching its newly upgraded version of the EMR and medical administration system for outpatient clinics, HOPE/EGMAIN-RX, that is capable of conducting cross referencing. Now, through the use of HumanBridge or other regional medical network, a standard information-sharing feature allows clinics and medical institutions to view the patient data that each separately maintains.

The product features includes:  Sharing a clinic's EMR data with other medical institutions: by obtaining consent from the patient to disclose EMR data, information such as order forms, profiles, disease indications, laboratory results, and medication histories can be provided at the request of other medical institutions connected to the regional medical network. By enabling providers to receive a comprehensive grasp of all previous medical examinations and treatments, unnecessary duplication of diagnostic tests or drug administration can be avoided, resulting in more efficient care. In addition, by enabling the provision of EMR data, medical clinics on outlying islands or in sparsely populated areas can collaborate with central hospitals, facilitating the provision of care at a consistently high level of quality.

Achieving smooth coordination utilizing HumanBridge: By utilizing HumanBridge, Fujitsu's regional medical network solution, medical institutions can share information in real time. For cases demanding expediency, such as emergency outpatient procedures, it is possible to confirm a patient's examination history more rapidly. Furthermore, when linking HOME/EGMAIN-RX with HumanBridge, there is no need to deploy an additional server for the connection, thus enabling systems to be built at a lower cost.

Supports SS-MIX-compliant storage technology: Apart from "HumanBridge", Fujitsu has experience in enabling the provision of EMR data between institutions by implementing regional medical networks that use SS-MIX-compliant storage technology, and the company aims to contribute to improving the quality of regional healthcare without imposing any system constraints.

 Strict security measures for sharing patient data: Connections with regional medical networks comply with security standards that conform to the "Guidelines for the Safety of Medical Information Systems" provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, for secure sharing of patient information.

 Environmental contribution from switchover to digitally based operations: Because referral forms and supplemental materials that had been paper-based can now be converted to digital form, it is anticipated that a clinic will be able to reduce its annual CO2 emissions by 0.5 tons.