IBM announced today that nine hospitals across Russia have switched from paper-based medical systems to electronic medical records using IBM Lotus Notes.

Designed to provide fast electronic medical record (EMR) exchange and unified access to many types of health care data, while at the same time meeting stricter medical information requirements and more secure access to patient information in Russia, the automation system was developed by IBM and Complex Medical Information Systems.

"It provides a single electronic tool for control, accounting and planning which leads to improved operation and higher quality of service," says Roman Novitsky, CEO of Complex Medical Information Systems, in a news release. "The solution consolidates all medical, administrative and financial processes, thus creating a unified information space at the hospital."

The system was first used by Municipal S.Z. Fisher Hospital No. 1 in Volzhsky in the Volgograd region of Russia and is now being implemented at several other hospitals throughout the country, including in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov, Kirov, and Vladimir.

In addition to digitizing patient records, the system also helps automate hospital work flow, including staff scheduling, medical exam and house call scheduling, and automating temporary disability registrations.

IBM's announcement comes on the same day that an IDC Health Insights study predicts there will be double-digit growth in spending on ambulatory and inpatient electronic medical record and electronic health record software between 2009 and 2015.

An IBM spokesperson tells me that nine hospitals are currently using the system, which--using the IBM Health Integration Framework--is the first health care solution in the country to comply with all standards (HL7, HIPAA, and IHE) and "will serve as a roadmap for other hospitals throughout Russia."

IBM's announcement comes on the same day that an IDC Health Insights study predicts there will be double-digit growth in spending on ambulatory and inpatient electronic medical record and electronic health record software between 2009 and 2015.