It was supposed to come in all at once and cost about $12 million, but P.E.I. health officials say a new patient-information system will now cost $29.2 million, and come in three phases.

'They'll be able to share information electronically between hospitals.'— Brenda Campbell, project director

The $29.2 million price tag does not include software support and costs to maintain the system.

There have been numerous delays in launching the program, which was to begin more than a year ago, but the province says a staffing shortage has been resolved and the first phase of the clinical information system will launch April 1.

"Currently, in the hospitals across the province, each hospital independently would be running a system that would do your admissions, your registrations of your patients coming in, dispense your drugs from your pharmacy, that would do a small amount of lab work," said project director Brenda Campbell.

"We're replacing those independent systems with a clinical information system that will replace those, and they'll be able to share information electronically between hospitals."

The final two phases will come later this year and in the spring of next year. The system will then include nursing charts and physician orders, and expand to surgery and emergency departments.

The money for the program comes from several sources, including the province, the federal government, hospital foundations and Canada Health Infoway, a joint federal-provincial funding body.