24 Feb The pulse of healthcare
Published by TheStar
THE modern healthcare values of a hospital are centred around delivering high quality, patient-centred care while maintaining sustainable and innovative practices. To this end, Institut Jantung Negara has implemented several initiatives that align with such values. Smart hospitals: Impact of digital information systems Healthcare information management systems (HIMS) have revolutionised the way hospitals deliver care and manage their operations. These systems integrate electronic health records (EHR), billing, health tests, patient scheduling, administrative tasks and other hospital processes into a centralised platform, significantly improving both patient outcomes and institutional efficiency. According to IJN chief executive officer Prof Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib, HIMS enhances quality of care and streamlines a hospital’s operations. The path to achieving this is far from easy. High upfront costs, technical complexities and staff training requirements often pose barriers. However, the long-term benefits make it an essential component of modern healthcare. Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) is a framework to evaluate how hospitals incorporate electronic medical record systems into their operations. It has eight stages, from 0 (not digitalised) to 7 (fully adopts technology to optimise patient care).
“Our main role is to assist in providing cardiovascular care for the rakyat, but we are supposed to be self-sustainable,” said Prof Mohamed Ezani. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The StarProf Mohamed Ezani says: “IJN currently has an EMRAM status of 6. We are the first hospital in Malaysia to achieve EMRAM 6 and hopefully by the middle of this year, we would have achieved EMRAM 7,” he shares.
IJN has managed to achieve this rating in a very short span of time – approximately one year, which is a stellar achievement.
“We were heavily paper-based, as is the norm with any hospital anywhere in the world. Reports, results, consent forms, almost everything requires paper, and the space to store such important documents, as well as the people to move it around when required. This takes up a lot of resources.
“Going through EMRAM accreditation has not only digitalised the bulk of our operations, but it has also rendered our daily operations smoother, quicker and easier,” adds Prof Mohamed Ezani.
In addition, by centralising patient data, healthcare professionals can access comprehensive medical histories, lab results, and imaging reports in real time and from anywhere. This enhances accessibility, eliminates redundancies, reduces errors, and facilitates faster decision-making. Another vital feature is the ability to mobilise data to improve patient care. Hospitals can identify trends, monitor chronic conditions and intervene earlier, thereby improving long-term patient health.
A challenge accepted
It’s very expensive for any hospital to embark on this digital journey, at whichever level. Prof Mohamed Ezani emphasises that there must be passion and strength to see through this digitalisation journey. Everybody has to be convinced that digitalisation will help improve care and hospital processes.
“Of course, it was challenging – from EMRAM 0 to 6 in about a year, that’s a gargantuan task. Fortunately, IJN has that DNA where we aim to achieve what we set out to do.
“We strive to do better, always. We have a great team of doctors, nurses, paramedics, IT experts, allied health… basically the whole hospital.
“Ultimately, we are looking at not only improving efficiency and patient safety, but also being gentler on the environment. We are in an elite group with EMRAM 6.
“There are not many hospitals in the world that have this accreditation. Once you have achieved EMRAM 6 or 7, the recognition is there.
“The industry knows that your hospital is at a certain level when it comes to digitalisation. That carries a safety component, and an efficiency component. It brings a lot of prestige to the hospital,” he notes.
Spreading its wings
IJN is collaborating with Putra Specialist Hospital in Melaka to expand its operations outside of Kuala Lumpur.
“Melaka is a good choice as it serves northern Johor, Negeri Sembilan and even Sumatra, Indonesia. Hence it provides for our local needs as well as medical tourists. Melaka has a very high number of medical tourists, especially from Indonesia, so we feel that is an advantage we can leverage on,” says Prof Mohamed Ezani.
“We have worked with Putra before, so we are familiar with their operations. More importantly, Putra is also planning to expand, creating a new health metropolis in Melaka, so they’ve invited us to be part of that.
“IJN is also looking at potential areas of growth in the east coast, northern Malaysia as well as Sabah,” he adds.
However, any plans for expansion will require a huge financial commitment as infrastructure development is crucial for success.
“We are a government-owned institution but we have a private healthcare licence. Our main role is to assist in providing cardiovascular care for the rakyat, but we are supposed to be self-sustainable. Hence, we have to generate our own funds to provide our services,” reminds Prof Mohamed Ezani.
“Hence, we are exploring our options to finance our expansion plans. Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) is an option we are looking at. There are possibilities for them to build and for us to lease. We see them as a strategic partner for expansion,” says Prof Mohamed Ezani.
“We are currently looking at our phase 2 expansion in KL, which is an 11-storey building. It will house 120-130 beds, with operating theatres, cardiac labs and a bigger clinic area. We are looking to work with PHB on this,” he adds
Another important facet of IJN’s expansion plans is attracting medical tourists. In a sense, the EMRAM accreditation also serves a purpose in achieving this target.
“The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) requires a hospital to have EMRAM status of 6 or 7 as part of its requirements for a hospital to be conferred flagship status.
“MHTC’s flagship hospital status allows us to attract more foreign patients beyond Indonesia, such as Vietnam, Cambodia and the Middle East.
“My wish and goal is for IJN to become the heart centre of Asia. We know that we have the skills, experience and equipment to achieve that. IJN is the only fully fledged coronary cardiovascular hospital in the country.
“We provide expertise beyond what is normal. What we need now is the ability to bring in patients from other countries. Our partnership with MHTC will strive to do just that,” says Prof Mohamed Ezani.
Venturing into academia
IJN College was established in 2008. Last year, it was conferred university status, and is now known as IJN University College.
“It initially started as our training arm. It is now our education arm, as well as our human capital resource arm. We have courses that we know are in demand and will be useful, courses targeted at cardiovascular and thoracic specialties to ensure a sufficient number of specialists in these areas,” says Prof Mohamed Ezani.
“Thus far, IJN has trained more than 1,000 Health Ministry (MOH) doctors and a few hundred foreign doctors who come to the country to be trained in the various fields of cardiology. Having more structured courses conducted by the University College will add more value to their training.
“The University College also allows us to conduct more academic research.
“It will allow us to engage with industry partners to conduct and publish academic research. It also allows us to collaborate with foreign universities to carry out academic research,” he adds.
ESG initiatives
IJN has taken several environmental initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. It has been accredited by the ASEAN Energy Management and Accreditation System (AEMAS) for its environmental conservation efforts, such as adopting solar energy and water conservation systems. In fact, IJN is the first Malaysian hospital to receive AEMAS’s Energy Management Gold Standard certification. Its use of solar energy saves 2.4% of total power use, while investment in lighting has saved power use by 7%. Water conservation efforts include harvesting rain water for use in toilets and landscaping.
“To date, we have harvested 400,00 litres of water,” reveals Prof Mohamed Ezani.
EMRAM has helped with IJN’s sustainability goals by vastly reducing paper use. Another goal is reducing clinical waste. Prof Mohamed Ezani says that IJN has taken steps to emphasise the importance of segregating general and clinical waste.
“We have introduced recycling of aluminium and plastic materials. We also hope to change some of our fleet to EV vehicles,” he adds.
IJN’s community outreach programmes have certainly seen some success. Over the past 10 years, its mobile clinics have screened more than 60,00 people in more than 170 rural areas. IJN’s various initiatives reflect its commitment to ensuring continued excellence in healthcare, long-term sustainability, and improving community trust. Such values ensure delivery of care while addressing global challenges such as sustainability, equity and technological advancement.