Progress
Health IT Progress in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has made significant progress over the last few years in its journey toward integrating IT within the health care system. With the eventual advent of a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR), HITS-NS will continue to work with its partners to ensure both the EHR and many of its foundational elements benefit from excellent IT support and service management.
Today…a patient is admitted to the Yarmouth Regional Hospital with a head injury as a result of a fall. A CT scan is taken of the patient’s head and instantly sent to the PACS. Within critical minutes, the test results are available to a neurologist in Halifax who is needed to collaborate on the patient’s care. The PACS eliminates the need for film to be physically transported to Halifax, which would cause a delay in patient treatment and diagnosis.
Today…a patient with severe diabetes in Port Hawkesbury is able to have a real-time, interactive visit with her specialist in Halifax through the NSTHN at her local hospital. Using Telehealth saved her the travel expenses and very long drive through harsh 
winter conditions to go to Halifax.
Today…a family physician in Halifax is able to access a patient’s test results from the Capital District Health Authority, which provides the physician with the information required to make an effective diagnosis. Because the physician is aware that the patient has already received the required test, there is no need to repeat the test. The patient also does not have to experience the inconvenience of having the test repeated…wasting valuable health care dollars.
This physician is enrolled in the PHIM program that provides access to the EMR containing important information about a patient’s medical history.
Today….while visiting friends in Kentville, a man from New Glasgow suffers from chest pains and requires diagnostic tests at the Valley Regional Hospital. Through the NShIS Enterprise Medical Record (EMR), the physician can access the patient’s past medical history from New Glasgow. When the patient returns home, his local doctor can access the Valley Regional Hospital results from the EMR.
The availability of patient information through the NShIS facilitates more efficient and effective patient care. It eliminates the need for repeated tests and decreases the economic burden on health care.
Today…we support the Provincial Clinical Portal (EHR), which enables authorized health care providers to access essential health information from anywhere in the province where and when it is needed (i.e. lab orders and results,
X
-rays, clinical reports, etc.).