APSAA 亞太永續行動獎(Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Awards )-Sustainability Action Award SDG12:Silver
Taichung Veteran General Hospital 臺中榮民總醫院
Our paperless hospital
The paperless hospital converts all medical records and related information into electronic files through digital technology and information systems to replace traditional paper records. Such hospitals can hence manage and exchange patient data more efficiently, reduce human errors and record omissions, improve service quality and data security. Since switching to paperless medical records is an important trend in the modern medical system. Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH) is the only public medical center in central Taiwan. It undertakes major medical treatments, teaching and research tasks, and provides comprehensive healthcare for acute, severe and difficult diseases of the central population. In the early days, various medical records of patients were paper records, and various administrative operations in hospital operations were mostly on paper. Paper-based operation is inefficient, requiring large storage spaces. That also involves waste paper management, higher costs for storage and labor works, energy consumption, leading to environmental issues. The number of individuals served by TCVGH is >3 million, and paper-based operations can no longer cope with the basic quality of services. For environmental protection and to fulfill corporate responsibilities, "paperless" is becoming an urgent trend to undertake by the hospital. Besides environmental protection, energy saving, manpower saving, storage space and time saving, paperless operations improve service quality, public satisfaction, reduce costs plus other benefits. Hence, paperless operation is one goal any modern medical system should pursue.