NWT expands its use of electronic records

INUVIK – Clients in the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority will become the newest beneficiaries of electronic medical information systems, as the Government of the Northwest Territories continues improvements to the NWT Health and Social Services system with its roll-out of the Territorial Electronic Medical Record (EMR) project.

In collaboration with Telus Health, authorized health professionals will have secure, instant access to the medical information of patients, which will help enhance continuity of patient care.

Moving towards a paperless record system will provide additional security, such as tracking who accesses an EMR and what changes are made to individual patient medical records. Additionally, privacy audits will be conducted on a regular basis to ensure only authorized and appropriate access to patient information occurs.

“EMR is more secure than paper records and it will make it easier for authorized health providers to track data over time as well as notifying them when patients are due for preventative visits and screenings,” said Arlene Jorgensen (pictured), CEO, Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority. “The EMR will ensure health information is available at the right time, right place, and to the right provider.”

The rollout of the Territorial EMR in Inuvik was scheduled to take place on July 12. There may be slight delays, as providers will use extended appointment times for the first two weeks after go-live.

Health Centres and Hospitals currently using the Territorial EMR include: Yellowknife Primary Care Centre, Frame Lake Community Health Clinic, Hay River Health Centre, Fort Resolution Health Centre, Behchoko Health Centre, Fort Smith Health Centre and Stanton Territorial Hospital.

“Today’s EMR systems are a powerful tool that physicians use to make more informed decisions and communicate with other healthcare providers,” said Michael Guerriere, Chief Medical Officer, Telus Health. “With the use of data and dashboards attached to the EMR, clinicians can optimize how they manage their practice and be a lot more proactive in managing the cohort of patients they have under their care.”