Personal health records

Portal gives patients real-time access to their charts

MARKHAM, Ont. – Canadian Patient Access Inc has announced the introduction of a secure, web-based patient portal, myPatientAccess.ca. The application will be fully integrated with an electronic medical record (EMR) system and will be available to Canadian patients whose doctors use the Nightingale On Demand EMR.

Nightingale On Demand is a web-based EMR system provided by Nightingale Informatix Corporation.

The patient portal, called myPatientAccess, will offer patients web-based access to their personal health records (PHR) as well as health management tools.

Patients are empowered to schedule their own appointments, review lab results, request prescription refills, receive clinical alerts and reminders and review care plans, as well as educational materials provided by their doctor, among other features.

The portal will be available to more than 200,000 Canadian patients when the service first launches later this summer, and later will be made available to most of the 6 million North American patients managed by physicians using Nightingale, effectively offering the first fully interactive communication gateway between patients and their physicians, the company said.

“Patients today are more interested than ever in taking control of their own health and the health of their families,” said Moe Jiwan (pictured), President of Canadian Patient Access. “Access to an interactive PHR that is updated in real time with medical information clinically validated by their doctor will empower patients to participate in their healthcare in an unprecedented way. It will make healthcare more efficient, more effective and perhaps most importantly, safer.”

Studies show that patients want to see and confirm that the personal health information their doctors have is accurate and current. They also want more timely access to new information like lab results, that if missed could have tragic consequences, as a recent case in Quebec illustrates.

This type of outcome is just the sort of thing that myPatientAccess is designed to help eliminate.

Canadian Patient Access, has recently been pilot testing the portal in multiple clinics, successfully enrolling a few thousand patients in the program. Patients were attracted by the prospect of being able to access their PHR and gain more control of their health records and ultimately of their health.

There has also been excellent reception by physicians and their staff, who have found that the rapid adoption by their patients, for example scheduling their own appointments, increased office efficiencies and allowed staff to focus on more important tasks.

“Nightingale is proud and excited to see what Canadian Patient Access is bringing to patients and their physicians using the Nightingale On Demand EMR,” said Sam Chebib, President and CEO of Nightingale. “Not only will myPatientAccess increase the level of engagement patients have in their own care, it offers significant operational efficiencies that promise to offset the cost of the EMR. This will not only lower the barriers to entry but will in fact increase the benefit provided to physicians and their clinics.”

Physicians using Nightingale On Demand will be able to offer myPatientAccess at no additional cost to them, with no upgrade or installation required. Physicians will decide on how the patient portal services are delivered, including the services that are offered, what information is provided, and which patients get access. With myPatientAccess physicians will have access to intelligent automated tools which will allow them to receive their bonus codes automatically and manage their block fee programs seamlessly, eliminating the need to retain third parties for managing patient services or preventative care programs.

Preconfigured bundles of services have been developed by Canadian Patient Access for doctors to make available to patients at different subscription levels. Management of subscriptions will be carried out by Canadian Patient Access Inc.

Physicians who choose to make myPatientAccess available to their patients will have access to training for themselves and staff and will also be provided with patient information and enrollment materials by Canadian Patient Access.

About Canadian Patient Access Inc.
Canadian Patient Access Inc. is a patient centric company with an aim to leverage technology to enable the efficient delivery of healthcare services and information between providers and patients. CPA will provide patients with instant online and secure access to their PHR (Personal Health Record), their physician schedule and other healthcare management products and services. All this combined with health monitoring services, reminders and communication tools the CPA online platform will become the standard for personal healthcare management for all Canadians.
See www.mypatientaccess.ca

About Nightingale Informatix Corporation
Nightingale is one of the fastest growing health care service and software companies in North America. It is recognized as an industry leader in Web-based (ASP) clinician and community based electronic medical records (EMR) serving the needs of small primary care practices, multi-physician outpatient clinics, and large scale regional health organizations and networks. Coupled with integrated practice management, transcription and revenue cycle management, Nightingale’s comprehensive service offering allows customers to enhance patient care, increase revenue opportunities and optimize operations. Nightingale is continuously innovating and enhancing its services to meet the needs of its growing and diverse customer base. Nightingale - Healthcare connected. See www.nightingalemd.ca

Posted June 10, 2010