Shared clinical information system

A clinical information system is a computer system designed for collecting, storing, amending and retrieving information relevant to health care delivery.

To support the clinical transformation, CST is implementing a shared clinical information system based on software developed by Cerner. This new system is called CST Cerner.  CST is building an integrated electronic patient health record, with alerts and decision support built in.

Some examples of what this means for health care staff and physicians

  • An electronic patient chart at your fingertips – no more searching for the chart or making manual updates on paper
  • Ability to see an admitted patient’s chart when they’re still in the Emergency Department, before they have arrived on your unit
  • Easy access to information about the patient’s condition, allergies, medications and previous medical history
  • Charts and orders written in type, instead of indecipherable handwriting
  • Physicians and other providers with admitting privileges will be able to place orders remotely

The software is tailored for health care, and includes modules for specialty areas such as radiology, surgery, emergency, medication management, and clinical documentation. There’s a track record of successful implementations across North America. 30 to 40% of clinical settings in Canada use Cerner, including North York General Hospital and London Health Sciences Centre.

We will take the software and localize it to meet the specific needs of VCH, PHSA and PHC. The clinical design/configuration teams are making sure that the system enables patient flow and provides the information needed by patients and clinicians. They’re working closely with the technical teams to put the pieces together in the right way.

You may also be interested in reading about equipment and devices.