PEI selects Telus as provincial EMR provider

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Prince Edward Island has selected Telus Health as the Electronic Medical Record provider for the province, giving healthcare providers a powerful new tool to help manage how they care for their patients. The EMR allows for safe and secure sharing of patient information between physician offices, hospitals, laboratories, and pharmacies, and provides a comprehensive digital view of a patient’s health history.

“Having access to a province-wide electronic medical record solution will be of immense value to us as physicians and the patients we care for,” said Dr. Kristy Newson (pictured), physician lead for the EMR project. “We’re looking forward to partnering with Telus Health for this necessary evolution in how we deliver care. Not only is it an essential step to help modernize how we provide care, it is also a necessary recruitment tool as we know early career physicians expect to move to a digital practice.”

The province has invested an initial $8.4 million for the implementation of a single Island-wide EMR solution along with an additional investment from Canada Health Infoway.

“Canada Health Infoway is investing $3 million to accelerate the use of electronic medical records and e-prescribing tools, such as PrescribeIT by community-based clinicians in the province,” said Michael Green, president and CEO, Infoway. “This is an important step in helping residents of Prince Edward Island experience better health outcomes now and into the future.”

EMRs have become a standard tool used across the country and have been shown to reduce medical errors, improve communication between care providers and improve patient care in areas such as managing chronic diseases. EMRs also support modern care models giving patients more consultation options, such as virtual care.

“We are proud of the confidence the PEI government has expressed in our EMR solution to be used by physicians across the province,” said Francois Gratton, EVP and group president TELUS, and chair TELUS Health. “This is a testament of the efforts we have made having spent the last decade building the digital backbone to allow for more efficient communication within the healthcare ecosystem. TELUS Health is committed to supporting physicians and the entire care team with the right technologies to help Canadians live happier, healthier lives.”

The province will provide community-based clinicians with more information in the coming weeks, with a plan to begin implementing the TELUS solution in physician offices this summer.

The EMR Program is being implemented by the Department of Health and Wellness in partnership with the Medical Society of PEI, Health PEI, and IT Shared Services.