Not only are South Africans ready for EHRs, the technology is ready too.

'Although initially slow to take off globally, the tide is turning decisively in favor of EHRs,' says Wayne Borchardt, an Accenture senior executive. 'Historically, adoption of EHR solutions has been slowed by technological inadequacies and other challenges unique to health care, such as physician resistance and privacy concerns. However, these inhibitors are being overcome and the tangible benefits of the solutions are proving compelling.'

According to Accenture's global research, fully fledged national EHRs are already in place in New Zealand, Denmark and Canada. In the USA, where several states have established or are piloting EHR solutions, hospitals' spend on EHRs is expected to increase by $300 million over the next four years.

In Australia, state and territory governments are collaborating on a joint venture to create a national health information network, and in England, government has allocated billions to modernize the medical record-keeping systems of the National Health Service.

Phillips says there is a pressing need in SA, where the health-care system has a high level of data fragmentation, to bring the individual patient into the heart of the health-care ecosystem. 'EHRs that are accessible to patients and health-care professionals in any hospital or health-care center in SA promise a consolidated view of health information that makes patient-centricity and health-care integration possible.'