Hospital funding for computerised patient record-keeping

Since 1 July 2016, hospitals have benefited from additional funding in order to organise computerised patient record-keeping (CPR).

The e-Health action plan provides for the setting up of an “accelerator” programme whose objective is for all hospitals to have implemented an integrated CPR and be using it effectively by the end of 2018.

In order to support this objective, the Royal Decree of 6 September 2016 amending the Royal Decree of 25 April 2002 relating to the determination and settlement of the hospitals’ financial resources budget (published in the Belgian Official Journal on 12 September 2016) provides for additional hospital funding in order to implement the computerised patient record in hospitals.

This CPR funding is organised around four packages: one base per hospital, one base per justified bed, an “accelerator” budget and an “Early adopter” budget.

The base per hospital is identical for each hospital and is calculated per year (20% of the available budget as of 1 July 2016 with a 5% decrease each year of up to 5% of the available budget as of 1 July 2019). The base per bed is also calculated each year (25% of the available budget as of 1 July 2016, with a 5% decrease per year of up to 10% of the available budget as of 1 July 2019).

The “accelerator” budget is an additional budget which aims to accelerate the setting up of the CPR. The condition of the grant is to submit, by 30 September 2016, a plan of approach describing the measures to be taken in order to effectively implement and use the CPR.

Lastly, in order to encourage hospitals to install and use the CPR before 1 January 2019, additional “Early adopter” funding is planned.

There is no doubt that this measure will encourage hospitals in taking the measures required for the implementation of this new system.