Health and Community Services
October 30, 2015

Enhancing the Health Care System

Progress Continues on Provincial Electronic Medical Record

The Provincial Government continues to make progress for the provision of an Electronic Medical Record with the awarding of a contract to TELUS Health Provider Solutions and an agreement with the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA) to establish a framework that will govern the implementation and management of a provincial EMR program.

"The completion of these two key agreements lays the foundation for the provincial EMR program which will add value and produce meaningful outcomes to the health care system. By assisting our primary health care providers, we are enhancing and coordinating care for residents by utilizing technology to manage patient information to the fullest capacity. We want to develop a program that is the right fit for this province, our physicians and our patients, while ensuring we have a program that is sustainable into the future."
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services

The contract with TELUS Health Provider Solutions is valued at $2.5 million for the development and implementation of the provincial EMR. Following implementation, the contract will provide $1.2 million annually to the vendor for maintenance of the program.

The provincial EMR will offer a computer-based medical record that stores information specific to a physician's practice. The EMR will:

• Track information related to demographics and integrate with existing health care systems that handle medical and drug history;
• Results from laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging; and
• Manage activities such as billing and scheduling.

The Provincial Government and its partners continue to work to develop a sustainable EMR program that will improve overall quality and efficiency of care, enhance patient safety and maintain health information to inform future health planning and policy development.

"The NLMA is pleased to enter into this Agreement to establish a provincial EMR system. Under this agreement, physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador will take on responsibility for co-managing the implementation and future evolution of this essential piece of medical technology. It will improve the quality of patient care and facilitate reforms that will improve the primary health care system. Having a provincial EMR system will also serve as a recruitment tool for attracting new physicians and retaining our medical graduates. In the coming months we look forward to communicating with physicians about the implementation process for this new system."
- Dr. Jonathan Greenland, President, NLMA

The provincial EMR is being undertaken with financial support from Canada Health Infoway. The EMR will complement HEALTHe NL, the provincial Electronic Health Record, which is being developed and implemented by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information (NLCHI). HEALTHe NL creates a digital profile of each patient within the health system that can be accessed by authorized health care professionals when needed.

"A fully implemented provincial EMR will improve patient safety by making more complete information available to physicians for clinical decisions. This will be made possible by making provincial electronic health record information available from HEALTHe NL. The Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information is looking forward to working with its partners to implement the EMR on behalf of the province."
- Mike Barron, President and Chief Executive Officer, NLCHI

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador remains committed to establishing a provincial EMR program that meets the needs of physicians as well as provincial health care system stakeholders.

QUICK FACTS

• The Provincial Government continues to make progress for the provision of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) for the province.
• At the completion of the Request for Proposals process, TELUS Health Provider Solutions was chosen as the preferred vendor and a contract has been awarded.
• An agreement has also been reached with the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association to establish a framework that will govern the implementation and management of a provincial EMR program.
• The provincial EMR will offer a computer-based medical record that stores information specific to a physician's practice. It will track information related to demographics and integrate with existing health care systems that handle medical and drug history, as well as results from laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging. It will also manage activities such as billing and scheduling.
• The provincial EMR is being undertaken with financial support from Canada Health Infoway. The EMR will complement HEALTHe NL, the provincial Electronic Health Record.

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2015 10 30                              4:40 p.m.