Program Enhances Transfer, Management of Health Information

One of the best electronic medical record programs in the country is being used to improve health care in Nova Scotia by enhancing the way patient medical information is transferred and managed.

The electronic medical record program, Primary Healthcare Information Management, won a gold medal recently in the provincial category at the National Government Technology Distinction Awards, which recognize leadership, innovation and excellence within the public sector.

The electronic medical record program is linked with the eResults system, which delivers electronic lab and diagnostic imaging results to provincially approved electronic medical record systems.

"Nova Scotia is recognized as a national leader for some of the innovative work that we are doing and the positive impacts it has for our patients," said Health Minister Chris d'Entremont.

"We are the first province to deliver electronic lab results from all provincial labs to all provincially approved electronic medical record systems. This puts Nova Scotia in an advantageous position to accelerate adoption of technology in the health system, which leads to many other benefits."

In 2005, Nova Scotia established the Primary Healthcare Information Management program to improve health care delivery. The program offers a variety of methods to successfully adopt electronic medical records.

Nightingale Informatix, the company the Department of Health partnered with, was also selected as a finalist for the Canadian Healthcare Information Technology Trade Association's 2008 Healthcare Transformation Award, for its work on eResults with the department.

In 2005 Nightingale and the Department of Health entered into an agreement for the delivery of provincially hosted electronic medical records.