Introduction of PATIS at the CWM Hospital launch on 19 November 2002

• PATIS stands for the Patient Information System
• New computerized health information system with its software developed in Australia through the Fiji Health Management Project a bilateral project between the Fiji and Australian governments
• First implemented in Samoa
• Registers all people having an occasion of service in the health system
• All those registered get a unique national health number and those over 15 years of age get a health card
• All those registered and have a number can now access the service particularly in places where PATIS is live using this number. You can now track the service that a patient is getting through this number
• Those less than 15 years of age get linked to an adult who may be a parent or guardian and do not get issued a card
• Everyone should only be registered once and issued a card which they must keep safely and present at the health centre ,or nursing station or hospital whenever accessing a service.
• Even though PATIS is still to be implemented in other subdivisional hospitals it is hoped that everyone will encourage the use of the health cards and numbers
• The national health number is also used to file medical records and has helped in consolidating medical records and in tracking of medical records
• In Fiji PATIS was first piloted in Taveuni in February 2001, then Savusavu in June, Labasa in August and Nabouwalu in November.
• Followed by Lautoka in June this year and now CWMH
• To implement PATIS you require 24 hrs electricity supply and telephone lines and cabling for computers
• Information can be accessed at facility level, medical area level, subdivisional level, divisional level and national level.
• Data is transferred through automatic dial up services overnight from facility to subdivision and division and national level
• Quality and accuracy of data is ensured through in-built checks and through regular checks by assigned system administrators
• A list of reports that can be generated through simple statistical analysis by PATIS is available on-line
• Data entry people and system administrators undergo both basic computer and PATIS specific training to use the system
• PATIS is very user friendly
• Security and confidentiality of information is ensured through PATIS by assigning log-on passwords for reliable staff members. Individuals depending on their level of responsibility and functions will be allowed access only to specific modules of PATIS
• Managers or clinicians who wish to access information should request to have a password or request information from PATIS administrators.