TORONTO and VANCOUVER – Telus Health and electronic medical record (EMR) provider QHR Technologies are teaming up to improve communications between healthcare providers across Canada.
Together, the companies intend to create a national, secure, standards-based, and open communication solution that will help the more than 23,000 physicians who use their electronic medical record solutions while caring for their patients. The solution will allow physicians across the country to efficiently and securely exchange patient information, and facilitate the dialogue healthcare providers need to have when diagnosing and designing care plans for their patients.
Telus Health and QHR added that they plan to expand the service to pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners such as physiotherapists, chiropractors and nutritionists, to drive holistic, cohesive patient care by coordinating and connecting all members of his or her healthcare team.
As part of the proposed collaboration, QHR customers would also receive access to the Telus Online Benefit Check service, which provides information about a patient's drug insurance coverage, helping the physician to make the most cost effective drug choices for their patients. Telus Health customers would also get access to Medeo, a QHR patient accessible web portal, and mobile app that allows for online booking, messaging, and video-conferencing between healthcare providers and their patients.
"Addressing the evolution of Canada's healthcare system – often referred to as the largest social challenge of our generation, requires us to rethink the way we work and collaborate”, said Telus Health chief medical officer Michael Guerriere, in the news release. “This industry-led proposed collaboration with QHR to innovate and break down communication barriers through the use of technology will bring us another step closer to the future of healthcare and is an investment in Canada's digital economy."
In related news, Telus Health said Wednesday that more than 1,000 residents of Saskatchewan now have online access to their personal health information using its Personal Health Record (PHR) solution. The Citizen Health Information Portal (CHIP) pilot, powered by Telus, integrates personal patient records with Saskatchewan's existing eHealth system – a pharmaceutical, chronic disease management and general health data repository, giving patients a real-time view of their overall health.
Participants can access medical files through a personalized log-in and augment them with key data, such as health metrics, emergency contacts, allergy information and reminders to take medication. Saskatchewanites can use PHRs when travelling, or when working with physicians who are unfamiliar with their health history. Additionally, they can access their children's healthcare information using the solution and authorize their doctors and any other healthcare professional to view their profile.
