WELL Health, McMaster collaborate with OSCAR

VANCOUVER – WELL Health Technologies Corp. (WELL), a company focused on consolidating and modernizing clinical and digital assets within the primary healthcare sector, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine (McMaster) authorizing WELL to use the OSCAR brand in perpetuity, including exclusive use of OSCAR Pro, OSCAR Professional and OSCAR McMaster Professional Edition.

OSCAR (Open Source Clinical Application Resource) is an open-source EMR or Electronic Medical Records system created by McMaster and the open-source community to enable better care, connect clinicians and data for continuous learning, and deliver improved outcomes for patients and the health system. By using the OSCAR brand, WELL affirms its commitment to the core brand principles of open collaboration, clinician-driven innovation and ethical data practices.

The MOU outlines a Strategic Alliance between WELL and McMaster for Technology Enabled Positive Health and Social Impact. Through this strategic alliance, WELL and McMaster will collaborate on initiatives that leverage OSCAR in ways that strengthen their shared commitment to ethical, innovative leadership in health and society. This includes:

• Working with the OSCAR community to ensure the continued growth and positive impact of OSCAR across Canada and beyond, one example of which is WELL’s agreement to assume responsibility from OSCAR EMR for stewardship of OSCAR 19 as an OntarioMD-certified EMR Offering, effective May 1, 2020;
• Offering clinically validated innovative solutions that enable better care or better information for health system decision-makers, such as the “Flu Automated Surveillance Tool” or “FAST” announced recently;
• Enhancing the experience of clinicians and patients through the provision of seamlessly integrated tools that facilitate meaningful patient engagement and self-management, improve access and co-ordination of care, and enhance options for virtual care; and
• Providing leadership to ensure equitable and timely access for physicians across Canada to new innovations that will positively influence health outcomes.

“We are very pleased to enter into this MOU with McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine,” said Hamed Shahbazi (pictured), chairman and CEO of WELL. “McMaster University has been at the forefront of collaborative innovation in the development and evolution of OSCAR over the past 20 years. We look forward to working more closely with McMaster on projects that yield societal benefit and improve healthcare outcomes.”

About WELL
WELL operates Primary Healthcare Facilities, is the third largest Electronic Medical Records (EMR) supplier in Canada and is a provider of telehealth services. WELL owns and operates 21 medical clinics, provides digital EMR software and services to 1,446 medical clinics across Canada and is a majority owner of SleepWorks Medical. To access the Company’s telehealth service, visit virtualclinics.ca and for corporate information, visit www.WELL.company.

About McMaster University Department of Family Medicine
McMaster University is committed to creating a brighter world through its teaching, research and community engagement that enhances societal health and well-being. Through its Department of Family Medicine, in collaboration with the OSCAR community, McMaster’s leadership in OSCAR’s continuing evolution is contributing to that brighter world as it enables improved health and health system outcomes at home and around the world.