Health System Technologies (HST), a subsidiary of Sekunjalo Investments, has implemented the Clinicom Health Information System (HIS) from Siemens Medical Solutions at the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape. The HIS package is built on InterSystems` Cach'e database architecture. At this point phase one has been implemented and a total of 1 500 seats deployed.
Cach'e differs significantly from more traditional relational database technologies - such as those provided by Oracle and Sybase - in that it combines the concepts of entity relationships and object-orientation in a single, multidimensional structure. The result is a system that allows for the complex modelling of real-world objects and processes, while retaining the ease of use and open access of an SQL-compliant relational database.
The Clinicom Patient Management System - developed by Siemens Medical Solutions - centralises the storage of patient-related information in a shared Patient Master Index, which is accessible to all integrated applications. Data capture therefore only occurs once, ensuring greater reliability and reduced redundancy.
Henry Adams, country manager for InterSystems South Africa, says: "The HIS package needed to be adapted to suit local conditions. This required the combined efforts of HST and InterSystems to ensure optimum functionality of the package, since the requirements of a healthcare system are considerable - speed and reliability being of utmost importance." Information must be immediately available at any time or place, and it must be accurate. The powerful modularity of the Clinicom system, combined with the speed and robust flexibility of Cach'e, caters precisely for these needs.
Adams says total cost of ownership was also a primary consideration, especially with SA`s weak currency. He believes that Cach'e, with its ability to handle complex business processing while maintaining minimal load - upon the system itself and upon staff - excels in this regard, especially when compared with relational databases, which typically require a large amount of administration and computer resources.
Khalid Abdulla, MD of HST, confirms the establishment of a close partnership between the two companies. "Support from InterSystems was particularly impressive, with queries being responded to rapidly and efficiently," he says. Moving forward, InterSystems will continue to assist HST in the building of its HIS business. The immediate future will see the two companies working toward the completion of additional phases of the implementation, which will push the user-base to over 5 000 seats in 40 hospitals.
Cach'e has been widely implemented around the world with over four million licensed users relying on the technology, including the top 10 hospitals in the US. Its penetration into the South African market, however, is still fairly low. "InterSystems is working hard to change this, and the HIS implementation should go a long way in shaking up some rather rigid perceptions of which database technologies deserve to be noticed," notes Adams.
Adams feels confident that the significant size of the user base is indicative of the acceptance of Cach'e as a viable alternative to competing database technologies. "It`s never easy to shift the focus from existing products within the market, and the commitment of such a large and prestigious group to a Cach'e-based solution is a massive step in the right direction."
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