Title: Electronic health records approaches and challenges: a comparison between Malaysia and four East Asian countries

Authors: Mohd Khanapi Abd Ghani, Rajeev K. Bali, Raouf N.G. Naguib, Ian M. Marshall, Nilmini S. Wickramasinghe

Addresses: Biomedical Computing and Engineering Technologies Applied, Research Group (BIOCORE), Faculty of Computing and Engineering, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK. ' Biomedical Computing and Engineering Technologies Applied, Research Group (BIOCORE), Faculty of Computing and Engineering, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK. ' Biomedical Computing and Engineering Technologies Applied, Research Group (BIOCORE), Faculty of Computing and Engineering, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK. ' Biomedical Computing and Engineering Technologies Applied, Research Group (BIOCORE), Faculty of Computing and Engineering, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK. ' Center for the Management of Medical Technology (CMMT), Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology, 565 W Adams St., Suite 406, Chicago, IL 60661, USA

Abstract: An integrated Lifetime Health Record (LHR) is fundamental for achieving seamless and continuous access to patient medical information and for the continuum of care. However, the aim has not yet been fully realised. The efforts are actively progressing around the globe. Every stage of the development of the LHR initiatives had presented peculiar challenges. The best lessons in life are those of someone else|s experiences. This paper presents an overview of the development approaches undertaken by four East Asian countries in implementing a national Electronic Health Record (EHR) in the public health system. The major challenges elicited from the review including integration efforts, process reengineering, funding, people, and law and regulation will be presented, compared, discussed and used as lessons learned for the further development of the Malaysian integrated LHR.

Keywords: Malaysian health system; health ICT; electronic health records; EHR; health information systems; electronic medical records; HIS; seamless; challenges; patient medical information; electronic healthcare; e-healthcare; Malaysia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2008.018922

International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2008 Vol.4 No.1, pp.78 - 104

Published online: 23 Jun 2008 *

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