Innovation

INNOVATION

Paper Record Digitization in Micronesia

In many parts of the world, medical records are still kept entirely on paper. This is true for Kosrae state, Micronesia where nearly 13,000 patient records detailing vital information on the health of Kosraens are rapidly deteriorating from the humidity and rodents, with risks only increasing due to climate change. In addition to the risk of physical damage, paper records make it nearly impossible to get a clear, real-time picture of the population’s health. They can also delay responses to disease outbreaks, and make it difficult for doctors to coordinate care, track patient history, and provide accurate diagnosis.

WHY LIAISON?

Since 2023, Liaison has been working with the Kosrae State Hospital to safeguard their paper medical records and accelerate their transition to a digital health system. Beyond scanning the documents, we are building a locally-owned and secure system that stores the scanned PDFs and allows hospital staff to easily pull up patient records on their digital devices. In the future, we aim to introduce text extraction and AI-powered summaries to make it easier for healthcare professionals to understand a patient’s history, which otherwise might remain buried in paper records. This supplemental tool will be integrated seamlessly into Kosrae's existing EHR system to ensure enhanced care while minimizing disruption to daily workflows.

Our Track Record:

  • Built out Patient Viewer system where all scanned records are stored and easily accessible by Kosrae hospital staff

  • Buy in from the national EHR team and Governor of Kosrae 

  • Partnerships with volunteer engineers from MIT, Cornell, and OpenAI

WHAT YOUR DONATION WILL MAKE POSSIBLE

  • Replicate Project Across Pohnpei, Chuuk, and Yap: With support from the national government, we’re preparing to scale this digitization initiative to all four states to ensure high quality healthcare across the Federated States of Micronesia. 

  • Train Local Healthcare Staff in Digital Record Management: To ensure this initiative remains locally owned, we’re focused on empowering local healthcare staff through training to ensure effective and long-term management of the digital records. 

  • Enhanced Preparedness for Health Emergencies: Electronic records ensure disease outbreaks are detected early and monitored to ensure quick response.

  • Protection of Valuable Health Information: Digitization safeguards decades of vital health information from damage, loss, and disaster to ensure they remain accessible for generations to come.