Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

Most businesses and organizations share information electronically because it's faster and more accurate. Many health care providers in Nova Scotia use electronic medical records to track patient information and we're working to better support and increase this practice.

For generations, health care providers kept patient information using paper files. They would request the file, make additions to it, and return the file to storage. However, patients typically have more than one health care provider and files were not necessarily being shared among them.

Through its Primary Health Care Information Management (PHIM) program, the Department of Health and Wellness and District Health Authorities/IWK support a province-wide electronic medical record system making it easier for health care providers to access and appropriately share records.  

Electronic medical records provide benefits and improvements in care for Nova Scotians by reducing the chance of errors, reducing duplication in testing and saving time. They reduce doctors' paperwork and should lower health care system costs.

Many Nova Scotia doctors and other health care providers have automated their practices by using electronic medical records. The province is working to have even more health care providers use an EMR. The Primary Health Care Information Management program provides needed support to clinics with implementing electronic medical records so health care providers can get the most out of the EMR, contributing to the provincial goal to provide better health care, sooner.

Implementing a province-wide EMR system will help to transform the way health care providers access information and deliver primary health care for Nova Scotians, linking continuity, collaboration and quality of care with efficiency and innovation.