New technology to improve patient care

Reduced wait times, better care, and more time for healthcare professionals to spend with patients are some of the ways One Person One Record can help improve healthcare in Nova Scotia.

“One Person One Record is a solution needed to transform the way our healthcare system communicates patient information between healthcare professionals and services,” said Amanda Tinning, RN, Home Transitional Heart Failure Clinic. “As a nurse, I need access to patient information and information in minutes, not days. One Person One Record will enable healthcare professionals to communicate efficiently to effectively provide patients with the care they need.”

The new clinical information system will replace or connect more than 80 systems that healthcare professionals use every day to record and display patient information. Many of these systems are outdated, slow, and information cannot be easily shared between them, frustrating healthcare professionals who, on average, log on to at least five systems to get a complete picture of a patient’s health information.

With One Person One Record, healthcare professionals at any Nova Scotia Health or IWK Health facility can access a patient’s complete and current information at any time.

“For years, healthcare professionals have been frustrated by not having access to the patient information they need to provide faster and better care to their patients,” said Michelle Thompson, Secretary of Health and Wellness. “It’s a big investment, but once fully implemented, it can save time, provide more and better emergency care, reduce wait times for surgeries, reduce duplicate and costly testing, and make Nova Scotia a more attractive option for medical workers.”

The Province has entered into a 10-year agreement with Oracle Cerner, a global leader in integrated health information technology, to develop, build and maintain One Person One Record. It will be rolled out in hospitals and mental health and addiction facilities in two years.

One Person One Record advances all of Action for Health’s priorities, the government’s plan to improve healthcare, by:

  • Support for a centralized booking system to reduce waiting times for surgeries
  • Allow paramedics to view patient health information en route to an emergency
  • Facilitating access to patient information for GPs, nurses and other providers supporting primary health care
  • Association of Nova Scotia Health and IWK Mental Health Clinics and SchoolsPlus, which supports universal mental health care
  • Replace existing legacy systems so new infrastructure projects can be designed with less space for records and more space for patient care
  • Provide ongoing care teams with access to the outcomes and treatments of residents’ hospital visits so they can provide better care when the resident returns home.

One Person One Record will add features over time, including the ability for patients to easily access their own medical records.

Healthcare professionals are fully supported before, during and after implementation, including in-person and virtual instructor-led training, as well as 24/7 personal on-site support, peer mentors, trainers, vendor support, technical support and more more includes clinical support.

Quotes:

The availability of a single information system that supports our care providers in delivering safe, timely and connected services should improve the quality of care patients and families receive while making their journeys smoother.
dr Krista Jangard, President and CEO, IWK Health

The approval of OPOR is a big day for Nova Scotia’s public health community. This legacy project will help ensure integrated and standardized healthcare regardless of where patients are located in the province. As a provider, I have instant access to the information and support I need so I can focus on providing safe, quality care to my patients.
dr Matthew Clarke, emergency doctor, Central zone, Nova Scotia Health

We are excited about this collaboration and the opportunity to work with the entire Nova Scotia healthcare system to improve the health and well-being of its citizens.
Brian Sandager, Vice President, Oracle Cerner Canada

Fast Facts:

  • The 10-year contract with Oracle Cerner is worth US$365 million
  • When fully implemented, more than 26,000 healthcare professionals across the province will have access to real-time patient information
  • Advancing One Person One Record is in Secretary Thompson’s letter of engagement


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