Doha

Qatar's National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) has become the first hospital outside the US to implement an electronic system for chemotherapy patients.

The initiative, known as PowerChart Oncology, involves the collection and integration of the clinical information that supports the different aspects of oncology care for patients receiving chemotherapy.

With PowerChart Oncology, healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, have access to patient-specific data, flow sheets and an interactive cancer-staging component.

“The efficient programme currently focuses on the chemotherapy prescription for patients and plays a key role in supporting clinicians treating tumours,” said Dr Salha Bujassoum al-Bader, senior consultant medical oncologist at the NCCCR and the chair for Breast Cancer Tumor Board, who oversees the implementation of the system.

The quality improvement initiative was honoured with the Collaborative Achievement award at HMC’s annual Stars of Excellence Award Ceremony 2015.

“The PowerChart process was custom-made in accordance with international standards and HMC’s clinical policies. The process starts with recording the personal and medical data of patients at the registration office and ends with recording medical appointments, required check-ups, medical history, case progress, X-rays and laboratory results, details of chemotherapy, and the type and dosage of prescribed medications.”

According to Dr al-Bader, the new system is of high importance to the process of administering chemotherapy to oncology patients.

“The treatment protocols applied at NCCCR in this regard are in compliance with the pertinent local and international guidelines including those of the World Health Organisation,” she said.

These protocols are available to all therapists in three different phases: the first is pre-chemotherapy blood testing, the second is pre-chemotherapy medication and chemotherapy prescribing, and the third is the post-chemotherapy phase.

"All oncology patients benefit from this system, whether they undergo chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormone therapy," Dr al-Bader explained.

In addition to minimising data recording time, the newly-implemented system facilitates communication among healthcare professionals, eliminates possible errors that may result from manual data entry, and assists in the processing of statistics intended for epidemiologic studies, serving the interest of patients and enhancing healthcare outcomes.

The successful implementation of the PowerChart system has enabled clinicians to conduct comprehensive reviews of treatment plans for each oncology patient in accordance with the national oncology care protocol.

"The system was specifically designed to meet patient needs and the requirements of the oncology care scheme at NCCCR. The rapid development of chemotherapy practices around the world requires regular upgrading of treatment systems to keep up with highest international standards,” Dr al-Bader added.