ASTANA CLINICS INTRODUCE HEALTH BRACELETS WITH PATIENTS’ MEDICAL RECORDS

ASTANA – A pilot project involving health bracelets with QR codes has been introduced at capital clinics Nos. 4, 9 and 10. The bracelets provide information about a patient’s medical records and contacts for relatives. The device should help chronically ill individuals during emergency hospitalisation.

The project is part of the Management for Chronic Non-communicable Diseases programme. Two hundred people were given complimentary bracelets to participate in the project, which will continue through March.

Individuals suffering from chronic diseases such as chronic heart failure, diabetes or hypertension and those who have a high risk of losing consciousness are involved, said Astana Public Health Administration head Kamalzhan Nadirov.

Several hours to several days are presently needed to collect information about the current state of the person’s health.

“According to statistics, every year about 500 patients enter our emergency rooms in an unconscious state. At this point, you need to know as much as possible about the patient: what kind of illnesses, allergic reactions and contraindications the person has or had. This information is vital to make the right decision in the shortest time and save lives,” he noted.

Similarly, if the person lacks national ID, his or her relatives and friends cannot be found quickly in an emergency. Contact information is embedded in the bracelets and they will receive an alert message when the QR code is scanned.

“There are such cases when patients come to intensive care; we don’t know whom to call. Sometimes, it lasts seven-ten days in intensive care until relatives are found,” said Nadirov.

Emergency doctors receive QR code information on their tablets, said ambulance station head physician Timur Muratov.

“All the information needed to provide assistance will appear on the tablet in a split second. The patient will immediately receive first aid. We will know about his or her allergic status, chronic diseases and parameters such as height and weight, which will help to determine the dosage of drugs. This is all very important at the stage of emergency medical care,” he added.

Source: https://astanatimes.com