240 N.B. doctors sign on to electronic health records; goal was 500

FREDERICTON – The New Brunswick Medical Society is less than halfway to its target of having 500 doctors enrolled in its electronic medical records system in its first year of operation.

Society president Dr. Lynn Hansen says of the 950 physicians able to enrol in the program, 240 have done so and another 200 have expressed an interest in joining the program.

The electronic medical records system is run by a subsidiary of the medical society called Velante.

The first doctors began using the system in November.

Hansen says New Brunswick doctors have until the end of March to sign up and receive government funding to offset the costs.

Physicians each pay $8,000 and Canada Health Infoway provides matching funds.

The provincial Health Department also pays $4,000 per physician, which is matched by Canada Health Infoway, to integrate the medical society’s software with the provincial Electronic Health Record.