General News
4 June, 2025
Digital health rolled out
EVERY hospital within the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) has now been converted from paper to digital health records in a significant improvement to health services across the region.
Nine rural facilities implemented the integrated electronic medical record (ieMR) system last week as part of an 18-month project, including Gordonvale, Innisfail, Tully, Mossman, Yarrabah and Babinda. Cairns Hospital also underwent an upgrade to its existing ieMR system in November last year.
CHHHS rural and remote services director Terry Johnson said every patient who attended one of the facilities would now receive a digital record.
“This is going to have such a positive impact on our rural and remote patients as it means their digital record can be securely accessed by clinicians across the state,” she said.
“It can be so overwhelming for patients who need to be transported to other facilities for care where they have previously had to repeat their stories to unfamiliar clinicians.
“Having a digital system is also going to allow our clinicians to spend more time with their patients and potentially reduce the need for unnecessary tests and travel.”
Ms Johnson said as part of the upgrade, more than 4700 staff across CHHHS had received dedicated training and at-elbow support and more than 110 new devices had been installed at each of the facilities.
She said significant infrastructure upgrades were required at each site, including Babinda and Mossman hospitals which are 101 and 95 years old respectively.
CHHHS rural medical services director Dr Tjaart Grobbelaar said ieMR was going to improve patient care.
