The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Manitoba's electronic health-record system, known as eChart Manitoba, was launched Wednesday by Health Minister Theresa Oswald at Kildonan Medical Centre, the first site to implement the new system. EChart Manitoba is a tool for authorized health-care providers to view key information about a patient such as dispensed medications, immunization and laboratory test results. As eChart continues to evolve, more information from additional sources will be included. The system is designed to provide instant access to the information that health-care providers require to make informed care decisions leading to increased patient safety and reduce unnecessary duplication of tests. "This is the culmination of a great deal of work, including the development of a number of systems to feed patient information into eChart, and it is very exciting to see it all come together," said Oswald. "As more sites become linked to eChart, it will be possible for a person's key health information to travel with them to different health providers across the province." The $40-million cost of the program was included in funds announced for medical information systems in April 2007 and includes a $27.5-million investment by the federally funded Canada Health Infoway. Kildonan Medical Centre was the first site to go live, with five more sites quickly following in Winnipeg, Brandon and Notre Dame de Lourdes. By July, the system is set to be in use in 30 sites across Manitoba. Initially eChart will be available in selected primary-care and emergency-department settings and additional sites in future phases. "EChart Manitoba is connecting care across the province," said Dr. Ricardo Lobato de Fariaof Manitoba eHealth's Electronic Health Record Project Steering Committee. "If your family physician is in Notre Dame de Lourdes and you get tests done in Winnipeg, your doctor will have immediate, electronic access to those results. In time, every doctor will have the opportunity to be able to access their patients' eChart records so that they have the information they need, when they need it." Only those health-care providers who are involved in a patient's care are allowed to access that patient's information. Every authorized user of the system will have a unique user name and password. All access in eChart will be tracked and audited. Manitobans have the option to add a disclosure directive to hide their personal health information in eChart Manitoba. They can also request a copy of their information held in the system and find out who has viewed their record. "It's critical that health-care providers have the information they need but just as critical that people's personal information is protected," Oswald said. Manitobans may log onto www.connectedcare.ca/echartmanitoba for more information. Ð Compiled from a Government of Manitoba news release.11/3/11
