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How can this be? Canadian physicians, with access to multiple EMR options, fast internet speeds, mobile devices, the technical equipment and training support, still lag behind other Commonwealth countries when it comes to EMR (electronically-stored health information) adoption. The recent Commonwealth Fund survey, 2019 found;
"More family doctors in Canada are using electronic medical records (EMRs) (86%) now than in 2015 (73%), a big improvement....however, Canada still sits below the Commonwealth Fund average of 93%."
In the Canadian Territories, 96 per cent of primary care physicians utilized an EMR, with Alberta seeing a 92 per cent adoption rate. Showing up in last place was Prince Edward Island doctors whose adoption of EMRs was only 26%. This lower adoption rate is somewhat shocking when it has been shown that; "EMRs, that have automated notes and records, order entry, and clinical decision support had fewer complications, lower mortality rates, and lower costs." [1] Additionally EMRs can; "... improve quality care by using the data and analytics to prevent hospitalizations among high-risk patients." [2]
The survey also found that; "few doctors can share patients' lab and diagnostic test results because health systems are not fully connected." Part of the slower adoption might be attributed to the lack of standardization in data formats for Medical Records. Additionally the willingness of EMR platforms to open up access so patient information can be securely shared between medical facilities has been limited up until now.
This all points to a need for change. Many of the EMR platforms in Canada are dated, difficult to use, expensive and not connected to any useful services. No wonder adoption of them is slower or even worse; avoided. Physicians are looking for a solution that improves patient care and makes their work easier and more efficient before they adopt.
The need for change and physician adoption is growing and this can be seen through the work being done by the non-profit group Canadian Health Infoway. Their Access 2022 initiative aims to push the Canadian medical industry to evolve and improve the way patients in Canada access health care.
ACCESS 2022: "is a joint effort between Canada’s innovators, e-service providers, provinces and territories, health care professionals, patients, and organizations to develop and implement transformative digital health solutions nationwide. Over the next four years, ACCESS 2022 will equip Canada’s health care providers with the tools they need to deliver optimal care in a digital world. Superior health care will be easier to access — no matter where in Canada you live."
Arya EHR is part of this movement. Our platform increases physician efficiency, can connect to regional hospital platforms (like the Cerner implementation at Providence Health Care), incorporates connectivity with lab results from Excelleris, e-prescribing, and handles voice dictation. Our clients rave about the simple workflows we have and the intuitive navigation. We get praise for our built-in billing modules and patient SMS reminders. We have responded and evolved to the requirements of modern clinics, while other EMRs haven't updated features in years.
Additionally, physicians can use our platform as a one stop Virtual Health Clinic and can access it from home, hospital or office. And just around the corner are Improvements like OCR (PDF text recognition) and AI data analysis of patient populations.
Our goal is to make patient medical records easy for physicians, and we are doing just that. Why wait until 2022, when you can access everything you need now. Isn't it time you took a look at an EMR that can make your practice better. Don't hesitate, schedule a Demo of ARYA EHR!
Find out more about the Access 2022 project and Infoway here at: https://access2022.ca/