HALIFAX – You do your banking and shopping online, so why not keep tabs on your health records online, too?
Many medical records in Nova Scotia are already stored electronically and now a pilot project is underway to determine if patients’ health records should be put online.
Alexa Thompson is one of more than 4,500 patients taking part in the program to see whether the personal health records — or PHR — program is a good idea.
The online records would be accessible by both doctors and patients, and contain information such as lab results, medications and hospital scans.
“I always felt my doctor was up here,” said Thompson, gesturing with her arm.
“I had to do what I was told. I could ask a few questions but I felt a little bit intimidated. Now I feel like she and I are partners together in managing my health.”
Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan, a family doctor in Halifax, is one of 30 doctors participating in the program. She says the PHR program is transforming the way she works.
Jayabarathan can now send patients their test results, notes about their health or identify problem areas electronically rather than seeing them face-to-face.
She said that the program is saving time for patients and herself.
“In the time that I can perhaps save, I will be seeing other people that I need to see in my office,” she said.
However, one hurdle that the program would have to overcome is it requires patients to have consistent and reliable e-mail access.
The Department of Health is spearheading the pilot program, which will be evaluated after Christmas.
“We will be sending out surveys to patients and physicians participating in the project,” said PHR Project Director Mary Russell. “We will be doing interviews. We will be looking at the feedback we receive from those in the project and looking at making recommendations with regard to if, how and when we move forward with the project.”
However, Russell said that the general public will not get a say in the final decision.
The pilot program costs $1.5 million, with the Department of Health chipping in 25 per cent of the cost and Canada Health Infoway, a non-profit aimed at bringing digital health records to provinces and territories, covering the remaining 75 per cent.
Russell said there is no word yet on the cost to implement the program if the government decides to go ahead with it or how much in healthcare costs could be saved.
“We don’t know what the cost would be in this moment in time and that’s part of our evaluation process,” she said.
Patients like Thompson say that they believe it will be beneficial for the province.
“A system like this will, in the long run, save the province money from people of my generation — those baby boomers that are creeping into their senior years — by being able to take charge of their health,” she said.
Jayabarathan said she wants people to embrace the idea but she knows that it’s a lot to ask and that not everyone may be on board with the idea.
“We have to be sure this will actually help people, that it will actually change their health in the long run.”
The program wraps up in March 2014.
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