Pioneering Digital Transformation in Karamoja Region: Akisyon A Yesu Presbyterian Clinic Leads the Way with Stre@mline Technology

Akisyon A Yesu (The Compassion of Jesus) Presbyterian Clinic is a private, not-for-profit healthcare facility operating at level HCII (Health Center Two). It is situated between Namaalu and Tokoora trading centres in Nakaale Parish, nestled within the depths of Nakapiripirit District. Since its establishment in 2001, the clinic has served as a vibrant outpatient centre, catering to an average of 50 patients daily. Recently, they have expanded their services to include delivery facilities, with an impressive average of 5 deliveries per week, along with a mini-maternity ward offering comprehensive care for new mothers and their precious newborns.

The clinic's unwavering mission is "To provide exceptional medical care in the name and for the glory of Jesus Christ."

Since its inception, the clinic has heavily relied on manual systems for managing various processes, including clinical operations, finances, procurement, and inventory management. While they had experimented with digital systems and EMRs in the past, none had truly satisfied their needs. However, all that changed when Christopher Verdick, the hospital administrator, attended a captivating presentation by Dr Ian Spillman, the clinical lead of Streamline Health Tech , at a UPMB conference in Kampala, Uganda. Enthralled by the numerous unique features of the Stre@mline EMR, Mr Christopher eagerly onboarded the system, hoping to address their challenges, with a primary focus on the following:

1. Patient Records Storage and Retrieval: Over the course of 20 years, the clinic had accumulated an overwhelming number of paper files, making it arduous to locate patients' records, especially for those who had not visited the facility in a long time. This predicament led to misdiagnoses and incorrect prescriptions, particularly for patients with chronic illnesses.

2. Drugs and Sundries Management: The paper-based system made it impossible to efficiently track and manage inventory. The clinicians and inventory managers lacked real-time information on expiring or depleting drug stocks. Consequently, this resulted in financial losses, opportunities for fraud, and a decline in the desired level of patient care.

3. Human Resource and Remote Site Administration: Accessing staff performance metrics for appraisal purposes was a challenging task for the hospital administration. Additionally, supervisors faced difficulties in monitoring work progress when they were off-site. These limitations hindered the clinic's ability to maximize the potential of its dedicated human resources.

The Process

• On the 21st of February, the clinic underwent a remote installation and setup of the Stre@mline EMR system.
• Comprehensive remote training sessions were conducted, targeting the specific problem areas. Hospital administrators were taught how to access reports to assess staff performance, inventory managers were trained in efficient stock tracking using Stre@mline, and registration/triage nurses were educated on accessing patient files seamlessly. The training covered all essential areas necessary for the efficient utilization of Stre@mline in serving the health facility and its valued patients.
• Akisyon a Yesu Presbyterian Clinic successfully set up price lists, conducted stock counts, and performed initial stock reconciliations on Stre@mline.
• The clinic officially went live with the Stre@mline EMR on the 10th of March 2023.
• From the 6th to the 12th of June 2023, a dedicated team visited the clinic to provide on-site support. During this visit, the users received comprehensive training on the various features of Stre@mline. They enthusiastically answered all user queries, ensuring that any missing details from the previous usage were addressed.
• Additionally, the team conducted a finance setup to enable efficient management of incomes, expenses, creditors, debtors, banks, and payroll, empowering the clinic to better organize its finances.
• The staff was introduced to the generation, interpretation, and utilization of Stre@mline reports, enabling them to plan, forecast, and improve the overall management of the facility.

As of June 14th, 2023, Akisyon a Yesu has registered a total of 2146 patients, with 2757 episodes created, 1857 diagnoses recorded, 2300 prescriptions ordered, 1690 investigations documented, 268 admissions with 251 successful discharges, 974 receipts, and 4 invoices recorded.

The management of Akisyon a Yesu extends their heartfelt gratitude to Stre@mline for their unwavering support during this transition. They acknowledge that since implementing the system, the facility has experienced notable improvements and a heightened awareness of areas where they have been performing at an average level but can strive for even greater excellence.