What is Smartcare Pro?
Imagine entering a hospital and 20 minutes later you are out feeling fit and smiling. Cool right? You do not need a book anymore to visit a health facility. Ministry of health Zambia has introduced a computer system called SmartCare pro that helps to easy stress and the struggle of dealing with patients manually. In previous cases for you to get attended to at a hospital you needed a book or a file that a clinician uses to come up with a record. There was trouble to retrieve files/books at the registry as it took time and energy to do so. However, it's a story of the past. The system has been designed in such a way that a patient will have a unique record in the system and can be accessed from anywhere in the country. The process needs taking-in the person's details and register before seeing a clinician. Your personal demographic information, vitals signs and everything is recorded so a clinician can proceed from to next level of care. In today's article i will explain what you need, the process, the advantages of the system and also answer common questions that patients may ask about the new system.
How is the process for one to get registered?
This free system makes sure to capture all the patients who come for seeking health attention, testing for HIV, giving birth, collecting medicines, when you are sick and anything that requires you to be attended to at the hospital. The first step requires a registry clerk to search for your name or number in the system. Then if you are not existing, they will register you and do the needful in readiness to have your service needs satisfied. The vital signs and other requirements are done at registry before you are assigned to the next step/office. For sick people they later be assigned to the screening room or clinician's office and later to lab or to the pharmacy if no laboratory investigations are needed. Smart care pro is for all the types of patients who visit the clinic/hospital.
Which health facilities use smartcare pro?
Many hospitals and clinics in Zambia are using smart care pro. Let me say all the health facilities shall have the system set. However the process of establishing seems to be on going till all the facilities implement it. Do not get surprised when you find your details already known by a hospital in eastern province when you got registered first in Lusaka. It’s important to tell the truth because the system also uses biometrics to identify a patient. This is for the goodness of your care at each level of the health facility in Zambia.
What are the requirements for patients to get registered?
Well. For you to get registerd in the system you need your full names, your place, a phone number, NRC, you will also have your fingerprints recoded for biometric configurations. You no longer need books or plain papers to access health services. You will be needed to stay true to your details collected for easy processing of your records in the system. The health system maintains confidentiality for its client hence you need not to worry about anything.
What are the benefits of using Smartcare pro in Zambia.
The system has brought faster and effective way to attend to patients at the health facilities. Using files/books used to take not less than 10 to 20 minutes for the patient to finally see a clinicina. Imagine the process was even longer if it has been months since you visted the clinic. Some patiens could take as longer as 2 hours to leave the clinic. For Smart care pro you get seen and end all your sessions within 20 minutes. Due to reduced time spent at the facility the patients can have enough time to attend to their personal businesses. There will be effective and timely reporting for the planning purposes. Patients cost on books will also be reduced as you will only be needed to present your number to the registry clerk and also the clinician in some cases. For the clinicians the system has alredy been fed with the information and all you need to do is tick and assing a diagnosis and treatment for your patient.
What type of patients can use smart care pro in Zambia?
The system is great such that it captures all departments at a health facility. Registry, Clinician's office, pharmacy, mother and child health department, ART (HIV/AIDS department) and Laboratory. The system covers all the needs of patient handling at the hospital and clinics. Any type of the disease or compalits are accommodated by the smart care pro.
What if i forget my phone number or change location?
Okay. Its possible to change our current residential address but that should not make you worried. Sometimes people tend to change phone numbers for reasons known to themselves but it shpuld not give them stress in connection with seeking health services under a smart care system. All you need is go to the nearest facility and have your deatails updated. We are assured that the biometrics and NRC will remain intact only if you lose fingers. If you forget the phone number yu can still provide the NRC for the hospital to retrieve your health records from the system. Mothers or fathers can have their children registered under the NRC or Phone numbers that themselves registered with. All names both for the children and parents registered under same NRC or phone number will appear in the smart care pro.
Summary.
Amartcarepro is an effective computer system that makes keeping patients records easy and makes it easy for the health staffs attend to patients faster. The system will also minimise duplicating patients receiving same care at different health facility. With the good reporting system generated by smart care pro, planners in the health sector will have a true picture of the essential commodities and other logistics for the better management of the health care system in the country.
Important: If you have no NRC or Phone number you can still register using you parent, brother or sister or guardian’s.
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