Standards and Guidelines for Electronic Medical Record Systems in ...

Requirements
1. Servers and workstations must be powered by an Uninterruptable Power Supply
(UPS) sufficient to power the system for long enough to ensure safe shutdown, and
to prevent corruption of databases.
2. Testing and maintenance of power backup units must be done to ensure their
reliability.
Implementation Guidance
Successful use of EMR systems requires a reliable power supply. A variety of electric power sources
may be available for different facilities, including the national power grid, solar power, generator
power or wind power. It is important to note that each power option has specific operational and
maintenance costs associated with its use.
Many UPS units developed for home or small office use are sufficient, assuming they are of capacity
to meet the equipment's power requirements. A 1500 VA UPS can provide about 20 minutes of
backup time for a single computer in case of power interruption 23 .
Computers and other electronic equipment directly connected to battery-driven circuits do not
require backup UPS units. Similarly, laptops with built-in batteries do not require UPS units
Surge protection and voltage stabilization should be provided to protect all computer equipment
within EMR installations against power surge damage. Many UPS units also double as surge
protectors.
All batteries, whether those in laptops or in UPS units, should be tested with sufficient frequency to
detect any loss in capacity below the threshold for useful operation. Regular documentation of
power testing should be maintained (see Annex B for a sample Equipment Maintenance Log). Every
23 Victor Balaban, Lela Baughman, Christopher Bishop, Meklit Hailemeskal, Xen Santas, Steven
Yoon. Developing an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) System Implementation Plan: Guidelines and
Template.
Standards and Guidelines for Electronic Medical Records Systems in Kenya 55