What They’re Saying About Electronic Health Records…
From Canada’s political leadership:
"Our investment in Infoway will help transform all that paper and film into bits and bytes so patients and their doctors have access to this essential data whenever and wherever they need it. It will also have a profound impact on the efficiency of our health care system…"
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
"An electronic health record system will save time and lives by reducing duplication, improving the management of chronic disease, improving access to care and boosting productivity."
Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
The patient perspective:
"My health is very, very complicated. When I first moved back to the Sault, I was healthy. Then I developed lupus and then fibromyalgia, then osteoporosis and auto-immune hepatitis. I'm on about 30 different medications for various things. And now I've got asthma.
"I love EMRxtra, because everybody is involved. I don't have to go through my history every time. They know my history. You've got a relationship with your pharmacist, and you're not scared to ask him anything. The level of care is excellent."
Karen Madill
a participant in the EMRxtra initiative (Sault Ste. Marie)
"I was having terrible headaches and was just not feeling well. I thought maybe I had another tumour [and] wanted to have that ruled out. So my doctor suggested I see a neurologist."
"Using the Ontario Wait Times website, Grace found that wait times at McMaster University Medical Centre were just nine days. "We went to my doctor and she made the appointment — instead of having to wait three months, I got in there within a week!"
Grace DeJong
patient (Guelph)
From the health care community:
Dr. Anne Doig
President, Canadian Medical Association
"Drug information systems are enabling pharmacists to have access to essential patient information in order to support appropriate medication dispensing. Developments in electronic health records are making important contributions to advancing collaboration across the whole continuum of care, improving health outcomes for Canadians."
Dwight Ball
President, Canadian Pharmacists Association
"The next decade will be a critical period in health information capacity development. The electronic health record is a potential treasure trove to support analyses at various levels, but only if these uses are built into its architecture and the rules governing access to data. Understanding where and why health care is effective or not requires linking comprehensive data from various sources."
CIHI
"Health Care in Canada 2009: A Decade in Review"
"EMRs allow doctors to readily access their patient's history, know what tests have been done and when to schedule periodic checks and tests. Physicians also use EMRs to help their patients manage chronic disease, such as diabetes and depression. When physicians have access to EMRs, patients can be confident that their information will be available when their physician or someone on his or her team needs it."
Dr. Suzanne Strasberg
President, Ontario Medical Association
"Tele–homecare is very powerful technology in terms of improving patient outcomes and reducing health care costs, because it empowers patients to manage their own illnesses. We improve care — and patients are making fewer trips to the emergency department and being admitted to hospital less often. When you improve patient outcomes, improve satisfaction with the health care system and reduce system costs, that's very powerful technology."
Dr. Ed Brown
CEO, Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN)
"I’ve been a pharmacist for 13 years, and in that time I’ve seen significant changes brought about by the Pharmacy Information Network (PIN). We have an additional source of information, one that helps to provide, clarify, and answer questions about a person’s medication history. PIN is another tool we can use to help ensure medications have been appropriately prescribed and are the best treatment course."
Jody Shkrobot
Pharmacist, Edmonton
"Essentially being a pharmacist in emergency medicine is like being a detective. You need to find the missing pieces to get a complete picture of the situation. The Ontario Drug Profile Viewer is an essential tool for gathering the ‘need-to-know-right-now’ information. It can speak for patients when they can’t speak for themselves."
Sara Ingram
University Health Network, Toronto
"Information and communications technology initiatives such as electronic health records, telehealth, databases, e-mail and Internet resources enhance the decision-making process. They give nurses access to timely, evidence-based and expert information, enabling them to make swifter, better-informed judgements on behalf of their patients. The result is safer patient care and better health outcomes."
The Canadian Nurses Association
"Better Healthcare, Better Patient Outcomes:
An E-Nursing Strategy