FORT SMITH (September 25, 2014) – Residents of Fort Smith will become the newest beneficiaries of electronic medical information systems, as the Government of the Northwest Territories continues its roll-out of the Territorial Electronic Medical Record (EMR) project. Authorized health professionals will have instant access to the medical information of patients, which enhances patient continuity of care.
“My priority is making sure that NWT residents receive the best healthcare possible and we need a more integrated health and social services system supported by the right technology to make that happen,” said Minister of Health and Social Services Glen Abernethy. “EMR transforms the way information is captured, integrated and shared between authorized health providers and will be an important tool as we continue to work towards creating a more unified system that will ensure better care and better health for a better future for all our people.”
“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 on when patients are due for preventative visits and screenings,” said Phyllis Mawdsley, CEO for Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority. “EMR will ensure health information is available at the right time, right place, and to the right provider.”
EMR is used for scheduling, charting and billing to support the delivery of patient care. Moving towards a paperless record system provides additional security such as tracking who accessed EMR and what changes were made to individual medical records. Additionally, privacy audits are conducted on a weekly basis.
The rollout of the EMR in Fort Smith is taking place this week. There will be no impact on delivery of health services during this time.
Currently, Yellowknife Primary Care Centre and Frame Lake Community Health Clinic and the Hay River Medical Clinic are using EMR.
For more information:
Brenda Norris
Media Liaison
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: 867-669-2302
Email: brenda_norris@gov.nt.ca
Damien Healy
Manager, Communications
Department of Health and Social Services
Tel: (867) 920-8927
Email: damien_healy@gov.nt.ca
