EFFECTIVE TRIAGING IN PUTRAJAYA HEALTH CLINIC

Abstract

Malaysia's healthcare delivery system in Vision 2020 will be recognized as one of the world's best. Putrajaya Health Clinic is our first paperless health clinic in Malaysia that incorporates the Health Information System (HIS). This system cuts across programmes and sections in the operational work process in the clinic with the ultimate aim of achieving a paperless status. This clinic provides a comprehensive health care service at the point of contact and focuses on wellness, client-friendly, seamless and borderless care with efficient use of resources and towards high a quality of service. This health clinic which sees the majority of the attendance being well persons, through the immunization programme, antenatal, postnatal, family planning, school health and well clinics for child and adult, will continue to extend and further expand its services to include geriatric, mental, occupational and rehabilitative care. The e-gOvernment within Putrajaya will facilitate the use of an appointment system, which can be done through e-mail, fax, telephone or walk-in. Information and communication technology will also facilitate the promotion of health education for individuals and communities. To facilitate effective streaming or screening of clients/attendees, a simple triage system is introduced. Prompt, short and accurate is the rule for triaging, thus providing timely and effective care. New information and communication technologies will allow healthcare providers to adopt a more virtual, more integrated and more distributed approach in the delivery of health services. It was documented that the average contact time at the triage counter in Putrajaya Health Clinic was 1.16 minutes, i.e. the shortest among other services provided here.