The stepwise implementation process involved the system first
being used at the evening outpatient clinic, and only for patients visiting
the hospital for the first time. An electronic record was created
for each of these new patients and existing patients were continued
to be serviced with their existing paper record. A limit was also imposed
so that members of the health staff used the EMR system for a
limited number of patients each day, and treated the rest of their patients
while using paper records. The number of patients they serviced
while using the EMR system was slowly increased until all
the new patients visiting the evening clinic were consulted with
an electronic record. The same strategy was then applied for patients
visiting the day clinic. At the time of the study some of the new patients
at the day clinic were still having a paper record created for
them. Since that time the day clinic has also completed this process.
The system is thus fully implemented at this time as all new patients
visiting the hospital have an electronic record created for them.
4.4.2. Optional usage of the EMR with incentives for use
In addition to supporting a stepwise implementation process
the paper backup system also allowed SN to make the use of