Wimmera Health Care Group clinical engagement officer Odette Richards said upgrading to a new system was akin to changing from sending letters to using an iPhone.

“Currently it’s all paper-based and for each individual patient we have a paper document with everything that takes place while they are an in-patient,” she said.

“It will now be an electronic-based document, and with that comes many benefits.”

Ms Richards said the digital medical records could be quickly shared and updated across multiple health care sites and regions.

She said the system was the biggest change to management and technological advancement in decades.

“With a paper document, if somebody had the file and they were using it, I couldn’t also view the patient’s details,” she said.

“I couldn’t have a look at their progress notes or certain aspects of their care. I would have to wait until they were finished with the case file.

“With an electronic version, I can just pull up the patient's details and see everything.”

The digital medical records system will link to doctors, specialists, hospitals and other healthcare providers in the region as well as in Ballarat.

“We have a client group that does not only visit Wimmera Base Hospital,” Ms Richards said.

“They visit a number of regional hospitals and go to other places for specialists.

“That is the beauty of the electronic system. You don’t have to wait for items to come back to you in letter format.

“You don’t have to wait for somebody to process the records. You get it all instantly.”

Ms Richards said the new system should also help reduce mistakes and misunderstandings during medical treatment.

Wimmera Health Care Group chief executive Chris Scott said the digital change involved months of work.

“This project is huge and we are very pleased to be at this stage and grateful for a lot of hard work being put in by a lot of people,” he said.

Grampians Rural Health Alliance will implement the project across the region.

Chief executive Mike McDonald said it was an exciting time for the Wimmera.

“This change is part of a long term vision to improve health care outcomes across the regions,” he said.