A DELEGATION of senior health service managers and doctors is in Washington this week to examine information technology and systems which are being used by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the US.
The Department of Health said the trip to Washington was intended to develop a clear understanding of the capacities and advantages of a particular system, known as VistA, which was in use by the VA.
It said this system had a particular attraction in that it was open source software, which is generally free to use and develop. This means that it could be widely used in an Irish healthcare context.
The Department of Health said that the visit, which it is funding jointly with St James’s Hospital, Dublin, “will also allow an appreciation of the organisation-wide systems that allow for an integrated approach to the delivery of services to four million veterans”.
“The trip has been designed to include experts in ICT technology combined with senior medical figures and one hospital manager. The team will combine a knowledge of technology with a practical sense of its application in a hospital setting.”
The delegation is made up of Ian Carter, chief executive of St James’s Hospital, Brian Fitzgerald, finance director at St James’s, Dr Colin Doherty, consultant neurologist, Michael Murray, ICT specialist, Mel McIntyre, open source software consultant, and emergency medicine consultant Tony Shannon.
The VA is a benefit system run by the US government for military veterans. It operates 163 hospitals, more than 800 clinics and 135 nursing homes and employs nearly 280,000 people.
It is the second largest government department in the US with a budget in excess of $800 billion (€587 billion).
The Department of Health said VA provided a range of benefits to more than four million veterans and their families.
In recent years, “significant, improvements had been achieved in the operations of the VA with the implementation of ICT changes”, it said.
Separately, Minister for Health James Reilly is in New York this week to attend a United Nations meeting which will concentrate on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
The Department of Health said this special meeting, which is expected to be attended by ministers from more than 50 countries, along with over 20 heads of state and 10 heads of government, was “only the second General Assembly meeting of the UN to be devoted to the issue of health”.
The Department of Health said non-communicable diseases were the biggest cause of death worldwide.
“This important meeting will give an opportunity for heads of state and government to take action on an emerging issue that has major socio-economic impact,” it said.
