Healthcare institutions on Bonaire, Statia and Saba introduce digital client records

Healthcare institutions on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are in­troducing a new Electronic Client Record system this month, marking a significant step in the digitalisation of healthcare services across the three Caribbean Nether­lands islands.

Six healthcare organisations will go live with the Elec­tronic Client Record (ECD) as part of the DigiCare proj­ect, an initiative aimed at im­proving the quality, continu­ity and safety of care through modern digital systems.

Five institutions that pro­vide long-term care will be using a digital system for the first time. These include Zorg en Welzijn Groep (ZW Group), Fundashon pa Kwi­do di Personanan Desabilita (FKPD) and Kalor di Hogar on Bonaire, as well as St. Eu­statius Health Care Founda­tion (SEHCF) and St. Eusta­tius Auxiliary Home Founda­tion on Statia.

Until now, these organisa­tions relied primarily on pa­per files to manage patient information. The transition to a digital client record system is expected to signifi­cantly improve how informa­tion is recorded, stored and shared among healthcare professionals.

A sixth institution, Mental Health Caribbean (MHC), which operates on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, will also transition to a new digi­tal system. While the organ­isation already works with electronic records, the new platform has been specifical­ly designed to better support mental healthcare services and future developments within the sector.

With the new digital client record system, healthcare professionals will be able to record and retrieve patient information more quickly and accurately. The system also allows for easier collab­oration between care provid­ers, ensuring that staff always have access to up-to-date in­formation about clients.

Officials say the new tech­nology will improve the qual­ity and safety of care while ensuring that services remain consistent and well-coordi­nated. The long-term care in­stitutions jointly selected the same digital system, a move that leaders say was essential for small organisations op­erating in relatively limited healthcare markets.

Genara Silberie, director of Zorg en Welzijn Groep, said the collaboration among the institutions made the transition possible. “This cooperation is very impor­tant for us because it made digitalisation achievable for relatively small organisa­tions like ours,” Silberie said. “Together we have created a strong foundation for the future and increased our op­portunities for further devel­opment.”

Healthcare administrators say the transition has been carefully planned over the past several months. Staff members have received training in using the new sys­tem, and internal processes were adjusted where neces­sary to ensure the technology can be used effectively.

According to Herbert Bar­nard, director of Healthcare and Youth Caribbean Neth­erlands at the Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland, the in­troduction of the Electronic Client Record represents a major milestone for health­care on the islands. “1 am proud and grateful for this development and for the commitment of all health­care administrators, profes­sionals and the DigiCare project team who made this step possible,” Barnard said.

The DigiCare project aims to modernise healthcare ad­ministration and improve the sharing of medical informa­tion among care providers. By replacing paper-based systems with secure digital records, healthcare organ­isations can work more ef­ficiently while reducing the risk of errors or missing in­formation.

Officials say the introduc­tion of the Electronic Client Record also prepares the healthcare sector in the Ca­ribbean Netherlands for fu­ture digital innovations and improved coordination be­tween institutions. For resi­dents of Bonaire, Statia and Saba, the system is expected to contribute to more reli­able and higher-quality care, particularly in long-term and mental health services where accurate and up-to-date re­cords are essential.

The launch of the digital client record systems repre­sents one of the most signifi­cant steps toward modernis­ing healthcare administra­tion across the Caribbean Netherlands in recent years.

The Daily Herald.