IT folder in haywire, healthcare stopped and computers frozen.
Two days after the start of the disservices, the protest mounts from Pietro Pesaresi, president for the province of Rimini of Snami (National Autonomous Union of Italian Doctors), who acts as spokesperson for both the patients and the white coats who are unable to access online services .
A circumstance that significantly extended waiting times and forced healthcare workers to patch up the holes by returning to the paper format.
Pesaresi, can you explain to us what’s happening?
«Even last Monday, as unfortunately happens at the beginning of the week, the family doctors found the computer file blocked as soon as they crossed the threshold of the clinic. A critical issue which also continues today (yesterday, ed). What to say? Adding insult to injury: this is the best summary given that, in the meantime, the ASL company is making itself beautiful by opening new Cau, the so-called Emergency Assistance Centres. In my opinion, an absolutely redundant service which on holidays has taken the place of continuity of care, while on weekdays to date it has not relieved the emergency rooms of queues and waiting at all, as had been promised”.
Returning to the ongoing problem, in your opinion what does this IT block depend on?
«We have no documented justification. Every time those in charge repeat that “they are working for us”. Without adding anything else.”
Besides patients, who has to deal with this mix-up?
«All family doctors who have regional medical records. A folder which, it is worth remembering, is used massively in Rimini much more than elsewhere and since 2017. With hindsight, we can recognize that relying on the regional project was a real mistake on our part, especially because now it is very difficult to reverse the trend, in particular for the Rimini context which, as mentioned, is 100% equipped with the regional electronic medical record”.
What are the consequences of chaos?
«A block is created of both the prescriptions and the dematerialized orders which therefore must be printed one by one and then taken by hand, rather than inserted into the patient’s electronic health record. Any performance, therefore, has suffered significant slowdowns and that’s not all. The digitization of recipes and requests for exams, specialist visits and much more also ends up in total blockade. A scenario that is now being recorded with increasing frequency, indeed every few days. In practice we are struggling with a phenomenon that has been present for years but is constantly worsening and the situation creates a torrent of inefficiencies for doctors and patients. Among the latter, the elderly suffer the most from intermittent stops, who have less ability to travel independently, but also the younger ones as they work and have little room for maneuver in terms of free time. The moral, however, is the same: all the advantages of digitalisation to which the public administration has been subjected go up in smoke. As for the doctors, they are exasperated and furious.”
In your opinion, is there a viable solution?
“It would be enough to invest a little more money in digital, but I fear it’s just a mirage.”
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