Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi from Thailand has been validated for Stage 7 of the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model.

The EMRAM measures the clinical outcomes, patient engagement, and clinician use of EMR technology in a hospital or health facility.

WHO THEY ARE

Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi is part of the Principle Healthcare Group, a local operator of private hospitals. The 200-bed hospital in metropolitan Bangkok provides outpatient and inpatient services and specialty care. Recognised as a digital hospital, it is also one of Thailand’s go-to facilities for medical tourism, equipped with modern technologies (such as a digital telephone/vocal order program for ordering medicines without using a computer and robots that act as patient escorts and caregivers), a full-time Burmese interpreter, and a medical assistant.

WHY IT MATTERS

Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi is currently the only hospital in Thailand to be validated at Stage 7 EMRAM. Its sister hospital, Princ Paknampo Hospital, was the first in the country to reach this level back in 2019. Validations expire after three years; a hospital can choose to undergo a revalidation to retain its achievement. 

During its validation, assessors commended Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi's "exceptional" use of patient engagement technologies, particularly its mobile chronic disease management program, Simple Med Dialog. This program allows patients to input their health data which is then analysed to develop health management recommendations. The hospital also leverages telehealth, as well as social media like Facebook and TikTok. 

Additionally, HIMSS noted the user-friendly design of their EMR and how medical devices for collecting vital signs – such as blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and oxygen saturation – are all directly interfaced with it. 

Following its EMRAM validation, Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi is looking to invest and adopt clinical diagnostic support AI to enhance diagnostic accuracy. It is also expected to explore digital systems that protect hospital and health data, as well as the integration of real-time information inside and beyond its premises. 

THE LARGER TREND

Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi joins the growing list of Stage 7 EMRAM-validated hospitals in the Asia-Pacific. China Medical University Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan and Samsung Medical Center were both validated at Stage 7 last year. Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, another hospital from Taiwan, was validated for Stage 6 of the EMRAM.

ON THE RECORD

Dr Tawan Chitchulanon, director of Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi, told Healthcare IT News: "The founder of Principle Healthcare Group, Dr Pongsak Viddayakorn, once said that 'one of the key success factors in improving clinical outcomes and being the employer of choice is how one utilises innovative medical technologies in the hospital.' 

"Princ Hospital Suvarnabhumi was established to be a hub of the Principle Healthcare Group for medical technology. We have embraced and integrated innovation and technology into our DNA with the goal of enhancing hospital performance and ensuring patient safety. 

"We first underwent the HIMSS EMRAM Stage 6 validation in 2020 before applying for other quality accreditations, such as the Thai Healthcare Accreditation and Joint Commission International. For 2024, we aimed to achieve the highest HIMSS EMRAM stage, standing on our conviction that having well-managed healthcare information is the key to quality and performance improvements.

"Our HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 achievement has confirmed that the hospital truly transformed as a digital hospital and guaranteed how well the hospital is utilising data and information to improve clinical and non-clinical performance, as well as patient safety and satisfaction."