Singapore Ministry of Health awards Accenture with contract to implement NEHR system

The Singapore Ministry of Health has awarded Accenture (NYSE: ACN) a contract to implement the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system, a key enabler of Singapore's vision toward a national, integrated health care system. The NEHR is designed to improve the quality of healthcare for citizens, lower the costs of health services, and promote more effective health policies.

“As the centerpiece of Singapore's connected health vision, the NEHR is intended to provide a holistic view of a patient's health information. With this market-leading offering, health care providers can have the right information at the right time to make the best care decisions”

Under the NEHR, key medical information such as patient demographics, allergies, clinical diagnoses, medication history, radiology reports, laboratory investigations and discharge summaries will be exchangeable among healthcare providers. Patients also may benefit from proper, right-sited disease management and cost savings, as duplicate or unnecessary tests are eliminated and medication errors are reduced.

"As the centerpiece of Singapore's connected health vision, the NEHR is intended to provide a holistic view of a patient's health information. With this market-leading offering, health care providers can have the right information at the right time to make the best care decisions," said Stephen J. Rohleder, group chief executive of Accenture's Health & Public Service operating group. "We congratulate the Ministry of Health for taking this bold step to create a new foundation to help support meaningful advances to Singapore's health care system."

The National Electronic Health Record vision - "One Singaporean, One Health Record" - was previously announced by Singapore Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan. With the initial system release in April 2011, Singapore will be one of the first countries in the world to implement a national electronic health record system.