TELUS Health Solutions launches new Canadian health reference portal, myhealthreference.com

88 per cent of Canadians are looking for online health information with Canadian references, yet 72 per cent concerned about reliability*

MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2012 /CNW/ - TELUS is making access to reliable, verified Canadian healthcare information online a snap with myhealthreference.com. myhealthreference.com, a new health reference internet portal, is designed to help Canadians find the relevant information and tools they need to take better care of their health and the health of their loved ones.

A recent national poll by Vision Critical found 72 per cent of Canadians are concerned with the reliability of healthcare information they find online, yet 53 per cent still use the Internet as their primary health information reference.

"Technology has empowered us with convenient, fast access to health information. Yet much of the online information is unverified. myhealthreference.com will allow Canadians to quickly find credible, reliable and expert-reviewed health information for themselves and their families," said Paul Lepage, senior vice-president, TELUS Health Solutions.

With 66 per cent of Canadians seeking a single point for online health information, the new site will deliver current content, reviewed articles and specialized functions to make the consumer experience "future friendly".

The new site includes access to:

• Web and mobile tools such as a symptom checker, self-assessment modules, healthy habits guides and smoking cessation programs
  
  
• Powerful search feature that "learns" from user trends and health news to deliver relevant, credible content to returning visitors
  
  
• Reliable reference content and news from trusted Canadian sources covering health topics from A to Z
  
  
• Advice from physicians, pharmacists, naturopaths and nutritionists, as well as information to find specialized local resources

The Vision Critical survey also reveals:

• 90 per cent of women identified themselves as the primary health seekers in the family
  
  
• 70 per cent of mothers first look to the Internet to gather health advice for their children
  
  
• 94 per cent of mothers prefer a website with information from a Canadian reference
  
  
• 66 per cent of Canadians have used online health information for positive results
  
  
• 25 per cent of Quebecers do not have a family physician. The highest rate from all provinces surveyed (17% BC, 14% AB, 8% MB/SK, 10% ON, 13% ATL)
  
  
• 33 per cent of Canadians over 55 say it's difficult to find dietary tips for specific chronic health conditions

To explore the new site go to www.myhealthreference.com.

*The Vision Critical poll of 1,500 Canadians was conducted from December 19 to December 22, 2011.

About TELUS Health Solutions
TELUS Health Solutions is a leader in telehealth, electronic health records, remote patient monitoring, mobile home and community care, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. Our solutions give health authorities, providers, primary care physicians, patients and consumers the power to enhance decision making and improve outcomes for Canadians. TELUS Health Solutions is transforming how information is used across the continuum of care from hospital to home with solutions that foster collaboration, drive prevention and empower care teams and patients. TELUS Health Solutions is Canada's leading Healthcare IT Company as cited by the Branham Group for five years and for being honoured as the ITAC Health Company of the Year (2008) and Health Transformation Company of the Year (2009). For more information about TELUS Health Solutions, please visit www.telushealth.com and www.telushealthspace.com.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.3 billion of annual revenue and 12.6 million customer connections including 7.2 million wireless subscribers, 3.6 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 450,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $245 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

Survey Methodology
From December 19 to December 22, 2011, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among a randomly selected, representative sample of 1,500 Canadians who are Vision Critical Forum panel members. Individuals were sampled according to Census data to be representative of the Canadian national adult population. The full dataset has been statistically weighted according to the most current gender, age, region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. The margin of error is ±2.7 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Emma Miller
TELUS Media Relations
647-464-6817
[e-mail]

René Samulewitsch
High Road Communications
416-644-2287
[email protected]m