Nova Scotia Electronic Health Initiative

Better Technology and Better Information to  enable and support Better Care and Better Health

In Nova Scotia we're making health care better by implementing information technology like electronic health and medical records, diagnostic image archiving, telehealth and drug information systems.  We have also implemented systems for finance, human resources and materials management.  These allow us to better manage health resources.

Information technology's importance in delivering health care is growing rapidly in Nova Scotia and around the world. Just as business and other organizations are benefiting from information technology, health care is as well. The ability to record, store and share patient information securely and quickly saves time, reduces errors, and makes health care better.

Nova Scotia has made significant progress in establishing robust e-health solutions, or information technology systems, across the province to better support the delivery of health care to Nova Scotians.

Since 2000, Nova Scotia has invested about  $120 million in e-health systems to support better patient care. We have invested:

  • $52 million implementing the Meditech Hospital Information System in District Health Authorities outside of Halifax Regional Municipality.
  • $46.4 million in the Health Administrative Systems Project (HASP) which will enable all of our hospitals to use the same information systems for finance, materials management, and human resources.
  • $13 million on our Picture, Archiving and Communications System (PACS) which gives authorized healthcare providers instant access to results for X-rays, MRIs, CT scans and other diagnostic images.  Infoway’s investment in the PACS Project was $11.2 million
  • $10.5 million in an Electronic Health Record System Project called Secure Health Access Record (SHARE), along with $17.8 million from Infoway.

We have started to implement a drug information system.  The budget for this initiative is $27.1 million (including $17.5 million from Nova Scotia and $9.6 million from Infoway).

Nova Scotia established the  Primary Health Information Management (PHIM) program in 2005 to help doctors move from paper records to electronic medical records. 

Our partnership with Canada Health Infoway which has been critical to many of our current successes and will be an important and necessary factor in our future endeavors.

The Department of Health and Wellness relies on the collaboration and cooperation from many people in the health system to move these important eHealth initiatives forward including;  HITS-NS (Health Information Technology Services), HASP (Health Administrative Services Program), District Health Authorities and the IWK, and health care providers. 

E-health requires ongoing and long-term investments as there are many more e-health systems that need to be implemented. We have made great strides since 2000, but there is still more work to be done including:

  • Integrating other Point of Service Health Systems with the Electronic Health Record including;  Physician Office Electronic Medical Records, Drug Information System, Public Health Systems, Continuing Care Systems, etc.
  • Encouraging greater physician participation in Electronic Medical Records, by initiating an EMR Rapid Adoption Project with investment from Infoway.
  • Implementing and integrating a provincial Emergency Department Information System. 
  • Enhancing patient care through greater adoption and use of telehealth/telepresence and home monitoring solutions
  • Investing in mobile health solutions and social networking
  • Getting information into the hands of the patients and family through Consumer Health Records and Consumer/Patient Portals

Additional information and details about some of our major eHealth initiatives are:

Health Information Technology Services Nova Scotia, also known as HITS-NS provides a secure delivery and operational environment for provincial healthcare information systems.

Project Successes and Awards

Our work in the areas of information technology and electronic health records has led to awards, recognition and even Canadian firsts.

Nova Scotia was the first province to create a provincial program to allow health care providers to distribute diagnostic imaging results electronically. Our Picture Archiving and communication System has also won national awards for service delivery, team accomplishment and excellence in organizations transformation.

Our Primary Health Information Management Project (PHIM), which provides electronic medical record systems for physician offices, also won a national award.

In 2009, Nova Scotia introduced MedicAlert Access-En Route, the first system in Canada to enable paramedics to access the MedicAlert emergency health records of patients from ambulances while enroute to hospital.

Crown copyright 2011, Province of Nova Scotia, all rights reserved.

Page last updated 2011-09-06.