TELUS Health has entered a partnership with Nova Scotia Health (NSH) to enhance health data interoperability across Nova Scotia, Canada.
The collaboration will allow Nova Scotia residents to use the YourHealthNS application to access their primary care information.
According to TELUS Health, the latest initiative for health data interoperability represents Canada's inaugural large-scale endeavour to standardise and link primary care data.
It will further empower individuals in the province to enhance healthcare management and overall health outcomes.
TELUS Health Payor and Provider Solutions senior vice-president Martin Bélanger said: “TELUS Health is very proud to be collaborating with NSH to support primary care data access for all Nova Scotians.
“We have been working on various opportunities across Canada to support, enable, and advance data interoperability, responding to the growing demand from Canadians.
"Our collective efforts in Nova Scotia show that, with provincial leadership and support, swift action, and a patient-first approach, we can advance digital healthcare innovation to address unique needs and priorities of specific regions.”
At present, TELUS Health is supporting the majority of clinicians in Nova Scotia by providing electronic medical records (EMRs) to improve their practice and patient care.
Under this partnership, TELUS Health leverages its integrated data platform to extract pertinent patient summary data from the EMR systems.
According to the company, a pilot study conducted earlier this year also demonstrated that secure and seamless access to health information improves efficiency, facilitates effective communication, and enhances the overall patient experience.
Out of 13,000 participants involved in the pilot effort, 68% of those who were able to access their health records rated their experience as good or excellent, the company noted.
Moving forward, TELUS Health is planning to partner with other Canadian provinces to replicate this effort.
NSH chief information officer Scott McKenna said: “The collaboration between TELUS Health and Nova Scotia Health has been a significant and positive factor contributing to the success of our journey to do more and go faster.
“Nova Scotia is proud to lead the way in creating the partnerships and digital foundations necessary to empower citizens and advance the Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap.”
