Fraser Health and Canada Health Infoway Mark Digital Health Week with New Electronic Medical Record Systems

SURREY, BC, Nov. 13, 2014 /CNW/ - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway), Intrahealth and Fraser Health are celebrating Digital Health Week by announcing they have partnered to implement an Ambulatory Electronic Medical Record (aEMR) system in some of Fraser Health's primary and ambulatory care clinics. This system, called Profile, enables health care providers to collect, share, and analyze patient information and presents a broad view of the patient's journey across different care settings. This works to improve the flow of information from the patient to the health care provider that ultimately benefits patient care. Canada Health Infoway has invested $1.8 million in this project.

The investment from Infoway enables Fraser Health to establish a sound foundation for the implementation of the aEMR system. The technical and human resource capabilities that have been established will serve Fraser Health patients, clients and health care providers over the years to come.

"Provision of effective primary health care is particularly critical for our health system as we increasingly place importance on alternatives to acute care and build our community-based systems for health," said Philip Barker, Vice President, Informatics and Transformation Support, Fraser Health. "Providing our primary health care staff and nurse practitioners with the most up-to-date electronic health record systems and clinical decision support tools increases our capability to deliver effective population-based health services to our communities."

This project began in September 2010 and in its first phase, two clinics began using the aEMR system in June of 2011 with the opening of the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre.  Over the course of 2012, an additional seven primary care clinics adopted Profile as their aEMR system.  For the 2014-15 fiscal year, Fraser Health plans on implementing Profile at an additional six clinics.

"We are proud to have invested in Fraser Health's ambulatory electronic medical record systems, which will help place vital patient information at the fingertips of the clinicians who care for them," said Michael Green, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway. "Having information securely accessible to the patient's circle of care ultimately results in better quality of care."  

Users of the aEMR system include physicians, nurse practitioners, medical office assistants, registered nurses, pharmacists, as well as ancillary health care providers such as dietitians, respiratory therapists, and social workers.

The functionality of the software supports the entire operation of the clinics, including office administration, paperless charts, clinical documentation templates, referrals, prescriptions and diagnostic investigations.

"Profile has improved the continuity, consistency, and quality of care I'm able to provide my patients through recall processes for managing chronic disease and health promotion and prevention strategies," said Ranjit Lehal, Family Nurse Practitioner, New Canadian Clinic, Burnaby. "It allows me to safely review investigation results for other clinics when providing medical care with ease from my desktop."

Since the first phase, clinics that use Profile generate no new paper charts, and all new clinical information is stored electronically. The goal is that over time, the clinics will become essentially paperless, making it easier to share information among health care providers and is environmentally friendly.

Today's announcement coincides with Canada's first-ever Digital Health Week (November 10 to November 14), established by leading Canadian health care organizations to recognize how digital health is transforming care and helping to improve delivery of care across the country.  To learn more about Digital Health Week, visit www.betterhealthtogether.ca.

About Canada Health Infoway

Infoway helps to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across Canada. Through our investments, we help deliver better quality and access to care and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians. Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government.

SOURCE: Canada Health Infoway

Fraser Health Media Pager: 604-450-7881, [email protected]; Dan Strasbourg, Director, Media Relations, Canada Health Infoway, Tel: [phone], [email protected]