Cloud-Based Architecture to Implement Electronic Health Record (EHR) System in Pakistan

Abstract

Electronic health record (EHR) systems are being used in several developed countries to minimize the problems and limitations of the conventional paper-based approach. However, several developing countries like Pakistan have not advanced significantly in adopting the new healthcare standards due to socioeconomic and technological constraints. Although there are some healthcare providers that are using their own EHRs, there is no electronic repository of patients’ electronic health data maintained at Government level. In this paper, a cloud-based architecture for the implementation of the EHR system for the hospitals of Pakistan is proposed. Adopting the proposed cloud-based architecture will be helpful in improving patient care, diagnostics, disease presentation, and round the clock availability of electronic health information. Moreover, the EHR system will help in reducing the cost of maintaining paper-based records. The development of such a system will not only enable the doctors and hospitals to exchange patients’ information with each other but will also establish electronic health data repository that subsequently can be used for diverse purposes, such as predictive diagnostics and personalized medicine.