SA Ambulance Service kickstarts electronic records rollout

South Australia Ambulance Service is to implement its own cloud-based electronic records system, replacing handwritten documentation.

The electronic patient care record (ePCR) system is to be built and managed by health IT specialist Dedalus as part of a 10-year, $16.2 million contract.

The system, which will run on Microsoft Azure, is currently being developed and tested for clinical requirements and governance. 

The roll-out to the service's 500-vehicle fleet is expected to commence in the middle of 2026. 

Upon deployment, ambulance crews will be able to electronically record patients' data on the road rather than hand-write clinical case cards that need to be later uploaded. 

The SA Government said that "in time" the ePCR will be integrated with hospitals' electronic medical records.

SA Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton said the solution is a “game-changer” for the ambulance service.

“We are now one step closer to having an electronic patient care record system across the South Australian Ambulance Service,” he said.

“This will bring ambulance patient care records and ambulance data into the 21st century.”

The deployment forms part of the SA Government’s 2024-25 State Budget, which allocated $23.5 million to upgrade the ambulance service’s patient record system.