Deploying the Red Cross Red Crescent Health Information System (RCHIS): A Pilot with the Portuguese Red Cross in a Red Cross Emergency Clinic (RCEC) Equivalent to a Type 1 Fixed Clinic

Abstract

Background/Introduction:RCHIS is an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Health Information System (HIS) that has been purpose built for use by Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Emergency Response Units (ERUs), which are the equivalent of Type 1 (fixed and mobile) and Type 2 facilities in the Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) classification.Objectives:To share the main lessons learned from the pilot to inform development and implementation of similar systems in other EMTs.Method/Description:A three-day, in-person super user training was held with 13 participants: nine first aid volunteers, two nurses, and two medical doctors; seven delegates had experience using an EMR. These super users served as trainers for staff at the pilot.The pilot occurred with the Portuguese Red Cross (PRC) for the Peregrinação de Fátima, where 200,000 people were in attendance. The PRC was part of a wider coordination cell with the civil defense authority, who required live reporting from the three clinics PRC had set up.Results/Outcomes:77 user accounts and 243 patient files were created during the four-day pilot.The delegates shared feedback directly and through a survey. 88% stated that RCHIS was very easy to use with the majority of delegates requiring less than 30 minutes of training. 95% of delegates stated that they had sufficient training to use RCHIS to its full extent.The civil defense authority was able to utilize the real-time reporting to assist in their operational response.Conclusion:The first RCHIS pilot was very successful from both a technical and organizational perspective.