Maternal and Child Health care has stepped into the new age through the innovative use of technology at the City of Whitehorse in Melbourne. Mayor Helen Buckingham said the new computerised Maternal and Child Health System (MACHS) cuts down on paperwork, frees up nurses’ time and improves the accuracy of statistics.
“The new computer package has replaced the former handwritten card system used by our nurses which means administration time will eventually be freed for increased service delivery,” she said.
“MACHS will prove invaluable in terms of generating monthly, quarterly and annual reports and graphs, while also having the advantage of saving nurses’ time in the initial recording of the information.”
In just 11 months, Council’s 15 Maternal and Child Health Nurses have made the switch from paper records to using laptop computers. The laptops record and chart all relevant information including details of weight, height and immunisation details, medical history, feeding methods and siblings.
“It is very user friendly and has been easily mastered by the nurses, many of whom had no previous computer experience,” Councillor Buckingham said.
The MACHS project was developed through the initiative of Council’s Maternal and Child Health and Information Technology Units.
The Municipal Association of Victoria provided ongoing support and acted as banker and contact point for other Councils that joined the project. Judith Burgess, Whitehorse’s Team Leader Maternal and Child Health, headed a joint Council working group which drove the project to fruition.
Forty Councils have now purchased the program, with others showing interest. A user group meets to share information and discuss further improvements to the program.
For further information contact Jean Andrews, Manager Planning and Contracts, telephone (03) 9262 6423.
