The A&RMC is piloting new clinical costing software that will be more flexible, cheaper and, for the first time, made in Australia.
The Federal Government launched the new software, PowerCost Manager, at the A&RMC in September, having provided $700,000 through an AusIndustry grant for its development.
Speaking at the launch, Senator Judith Troeth congratulated the A&RMC and software manufacturer Power Solutions for a shared commitment to innovation and excellence.
CEO Jennifer Williams said the new system would help the A&RMC evaluate the cost of new treatments and allocate adequate resources.
For example, if our physiotherapists determine that starting physio sooner after a hip replacement will reduce a patient's need for pain relief, this new system will calculate the savings to our pharmacy budget, not only for that patient, but the impact of that new practice over the course of a year. This can amount to a significant sum of money, which we can then redirect into other patient services. The new system is PC based, so it will be easier to use, as well as cheaper to run, making it affordable for many smaller hospitals for the first time.
It's a much more adaptable system, Jennifer Williams said.
In the past, we had to import clinical costing software from the United States. It used old-fashioned mainframe technology, was written for the US health system rather than Australia’s and was very expensive, particularly as the Australian dollar depreciated.
The A&RMC expects to save more than $100,000 per year once the system is fully operational, probably in early 2002.
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