According to the HA's chief medical informatics officer Dr Cheung NgaiTseung, the organization is set to complete the remaining development work of CMS 3 in 2013, while roll-out of various modules on the system has been underway since a year ago.

Many of the modules were there before CMS 3--a tech-refresh initiative to move from the previous client-server model to an SOA model. The six-year project, budgeted at HK$556 million, will also see a total move to browser-based applications.

Cheung said 40,000 HA staffers will access CMS 3--which includes many applications including some for front-line clinicians and others for functions like reporting and query, dispensary, and medical images--for their daily work.

"There are so many [modules] that I won't be able to explain how each one helps us transform processes and health care," said Cheung. "But there are some--like drug-checking, the Hospital Admission Risk Reduction Program for the Elderly (HARRPE), and In-patient Medication Order Entry (IPMOE)--that helps us reduce risk and improve services in a far-reaching manner.""