Government of Nova Scotia gov.ns.ca
gov.ns.ca Government of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia, Canada
 
Department of Health

Nova Scotia Hospital Information System

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q1. What is the Nova Scotia Hospital Information System?

The Nova Scotia Hospital Information System (NShIS) is a computer system designed to link health information within and between hospitals across the province.  It is the first step towards creating a provincial Electronic Health Record (EHR) for every Nova Scotian and will help ensure that doctors, nurses, and other medical staff have the information they need to provide the best care possible.

 

Q2. Why are we doing this?

The Nova Scotia Hospital Information System (NShIS) will provide health care professionals with quick, accurate, and appropriate access to patient's medical history information, which is important to providing patient care.  Doctors, nurses, and other medical staff will have access to up-to-date patient information.  It will also lessen the need for patients to repeat information over and over again, reduce wait times for test results, and provide more information for administrators to base their decisions on. Ultimately, the reason for this project is to improve health care for Nova Scotians.

 

Q3. Who is involved in the project?

Nova Scotia's Department of Health, all nine District Health Authorities and hospitals, as well as the IWK Health Centre have partnered with vendors EMC 2 and Meditech to implement the new information system in 34 hospitals across the province. Doctors, nurses and other medical staff, academics and other experts are involved to make sure the system meets the needs of those who will be using it.  For more information on EMC 2 and Meditech, follow the links provided here:

EMC 2 :             http://www.emc.com
Meditech:        http://www.meditech.com

 

Q4. How will this affect me?

The first few weeks the new computer system is being used in a particular hospital, you may experience delays in registration while staff adjust to the new system.  You can help minimize delays by having your health card ready to present at registration areas, and by arriving for your appointment a few minutes early.  Once staff are comfortable using the new system, you will find that service is more efficient.

 

Q5. Where will the system be implemented?

The new system will be implemented in all hospitals outside of the Capital District Health Authority and the IWK. The IWK and other hospitals in the Capital District Health Authority already have significant information systems in place. However, both organizations are involved with the project, and links will eventually be established to ensure all critical health information can be shared appropriately across the province in a secure environment.

 

Q6. What's being done to ensure my information remains private and secure?

Whether your information is kept in a paper-based format or in an electronic format, you have the right to have your personal health information treated in a confidential manner and with respect.  As is the case now, your care providers will have authorized access only to the information necessary to perform their role in supporting your care.  What will be different is that they will have timely access to all relevant aspects of your health history, no matter where you are treated in the province.

Everyone who will be using the computer system will be assigned a user name and password, and will be provided the appropriate level of access according to their role in care delivery.  All users of the system are required to take privacy training that reinforces appropriate use of the system.


Q7. Will my information be sold, or used for any other purpose than to provide information to my care providers?

As is now the case, information from hospital charts - with your name and other identifying information removed - may be used to support research and health care planning.  For example, the information may indicate how many people were hospitalized last year for hip fractures, but it wouldn't include the names of patients who had hip fractures. Identifiable information will not be sold.

 

Q8. Will I still be able to get a copy of my medical record?

Yes.  As is the current practice, under the provisions in the Hospitals Act, you may request a copy of your medical record.

 

Q9. How is the system being implemented?

Due to the size of the project and the number of people involved, the new computer system was implemented in a staged approach. A provincial team with representation from small, medium, and large hospitals was formed to ensure that standards were developed and in place before implementation began. Our first go-live took place in the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority (GASHA) in February 2003. Since that time, we have completed over 250 module implementations across 34 hospitals that span 55,000 square kilometers in less than 37 months.

 

Q10. What applications will be implemented as part of the new system?

The following ten application areas will be part of the new system:

  1. Admissions, Medical Records & Abstracting (ADM/MRI/ABS)
  2. Billing/Account Receivable (BAR)
  3. Community Wide Scheduling (CWS)
  4. Data Repository (DR)
  5. Imaging and Therapeutic Services (ITS)
  6. Laboratory, Microbiology, Blood Bank & Anatomical Pathology (LIS)
  7. Order Entry & Electronic Medical Record (OE/EMR)
  8. Patient Care System (PCS)
  9. Pharmacy (PHA)
  10. Remote Physician Access

 

Q11. When will the project be completed?

The completion of this project marks the first critical step in creating complete electronic health records for every Nova Scotian, and is part of a comprehensive provincial health information management system. This foundation system is on schedule for completion on March 31, 2006.


Q12. I just moved to the Province - how do I get a Nova Scotia Health Card? Who should I contact if my card get lost/stolen or my card expires?

Please call the MSI Registration Department at (902) 496-7008 or 1-800-563-8880 (toll free within Nova Scotia).