Nova Scotians can share patient summaries online

HALIFAX – Nova Scotians can now access a summary of their medical information through the YourHealthNS app and website, a feature the province says will streamline the process of sharing a patient’s health history with a provider.

A news release from the provincial Department of Health and Wellness said the new function allows users to share a summarized version of their medical records with a healthcare advisor or another person they trust.

It includes information like allergies and intolerances, medical conditions, diagnostic imaging, immunizations, laboratory tests, medications and hospital visits and stays, the release said.

“The more information a provider has about a patient’s health history, the faster they can assess and recommend treatment, especially in an emergency when every moment counts,” Health minister Michelle Thompson (pictured) said in a news release.

“We can’t predict when and where we may need care, but we can be prepared. This allows any Nova Scotian to share a summary of their medical history with any provider, anywhere, in minutes.”

The summary includes health data from hospitals, primary care, pharmacies and virtual care. The information is private and secure and can only be accessed by the user, the release said.

It does not capture a patient’s complete medical history, as not all historical health information is available.

To share a summary of their medical history, patients must log in to YourHealthNS and generate a unique secure link that can be sent by email or text.

Patients will then create and share a PIN with the recipient to unlock the summary. Patients can also generate a QR code on their phone to share with a healthcare provider in person.

Patient summaries created to be shared with someone expire after 24 hours.

The department asserts that this new feature is the most comprehensive medical information summary available virtually in Canada and meets international standards.

It’s also part of an Atlantic Canadian initiative to standardize patient summaries in terms of its look, format and the information being presented.

The province said since records were made available through YourHealthNS in January 2024, there have been more than 1.2 million logins by Nova Scotians accessing their healthcare data.