It’s something of an understatement to say that the digitalisation of the Irish health service has been a very slow process, wedded as it is to paper records and burdened with legacy technology.
One company helping the health service with its digital transition is Meditech, which has been supporting Irish healthcare organisations with its electronic health record (EHR) systems for more than 20 years. More recently, Meditech Ireland was established to assist with the needs of Meditech‘s growing Irish customer base.
“In this time, we have demonstrated our commitment to partnership and a deep understanding of the needs of Irish healthcare providers,” Meditech executive director, international Gina Kerley explains. “We have delivered a modern and sophisticated platform that is fiscally sustainable and elevates the level of care provided at these organisations.”
Meditech’s first customer in Ireland was the Galway Clinic, which also was the first organisation in Europe to adopt Meditech’s latest EHR platform, Expanse. This data-driven platform offers a new level of insight to clinicians and hospital managers alike, from predicting the risk of serious conditions like sepsis, alerting clinicians to patients requiring immediate attention, to managing bottlenecks in throughput.
Independent hospitals across Ireland are already using the Expanse platform. Kerley notes that the Galway Clinic has been a leader in digital health and was the first organisation in Ireland and the UK to achieve HIMSS Stage 6, a recognition of excellence in health IT. Other long-term customers in Ireland include Hermitage Medical Clinic, which is now in the process of implementing the Expanse platform, as is the Mater Private Network and the Bons Secours Health System.
“Bon Secours Health System is delighted to partner with Meditech to implement BonsConnect, our electronic health record, as part of our 2025 strategic plan,” says Bon Secours Health System group chief executive Bill Maher.
Launching this year, BonsConnect will use the Expanse platform to standardise and optimise its processes, consolidating documentation and patient information into a single digital record. “It will enhance timely, informed decision-making, strengthen patient safety, and empower our exceptional people to continue delivering exceptional care,” Maher says.
“Meditech’s market share has expanded due to the outstanding level of work accomplished with our Irish partners and the endorsement from customers worldwide,” Kerley adds. “Our platform offers value and advanced technology which supports safer, higher quality care.”
The push to digital across the entire health service is finally gaining pace: the Department of Health recently launched its framework for delivering digital health services across the country, including introducing a national shared care record. The goals outlined include empowering patients, connecting care, and data-driven services and Kerley points out that Meditech is already actively supporting customers worldwide in meeting these objectives.
“The Expanse platform is an ecosystem for innovation, leveraging data to connect care teams, exchange between systems, and enable effective care for patients,” she says. “Data is presented seamlessly within advanced workflows for ease of use.”
This quick and easy access to data helps drive informed clinical decisions, patient engagement, and efficiency of busy consultants and nurses, she adds. “The interoperable approach is of tremendous value as it enables Expanse to scale with an organisation by integrating new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) that can further advance care delivery.”
Indeed, Meditech Expanse offers significant benefits to both patients and the wider public by improving patient engagement, access to care, and population health outcomes.
One hallmark of the Irish health service is its inherent fragmentation – patients can easily find themselves lost in the gaps. Kerley explains that the Expanse platform allows for an unprecedented level of connected care; for example, at Bon Secours Health System, the EHR will provide seamless integration between clinicians, specialities, and the system’s five hospitals, benefiting the system’s 300,000 patients it cares for annually. “This eliminates the need for patients to repeat their medical histories or have duplicate tests with different providers,” she says. “Simultaneously, providers have a more comprehensive view of their patient’s health data.”
The platform is also a useful tool when it comes to patient education and empowerment, allowing them to stay engaged and manage their own care, Kerley says. “Patients are empowered to take an active role in managing their health by self-scheduling appointments, reviewing test results, and messaging their care providers directly through the online patient portal.”
As the Irish healthcare sector embraces digital transformation, bolstered by the HSE’s tender for a shared care record, Kerley highlights how the combination of Meditech’s established presence in Ireland, numerous successes in comparable markets including Canada, and innovative technology, are positioning the company well for continued growth and achievement.
