Canada’s leading health IT company adds patient videoconferencing to its electronic medical records in British Columbia
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, TELUS Health announced it is enabling 26,000 Canadian family doctors to conduct virtual visits with their patients by seamlessly integrating this functionality into its electronic medical records (EMRs) offering. TELUS Health has accelerated the development of this virtual video functionality in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, now that physicians in British Columbia and across the country can use virtual care fee codes. Offered as a free service for the first four months, this new feature allows physicians to virtually support their own roster of patients while maintaining continuity of care and fully up-to-date health records.
“Continuity of care is so important, especially during this health crisis,” says Dr. Baldev Sanghera, B.C. Family physician. “With this new technology, I have a secure way to see my patients virtually and make sure they’re getting the best care possible, all while keeping both of us safe in our own homes.”
The new virtual care feature empowers physicians to book appointments, conduct video consultations and update patient records all within their EMR. Available from desktop, smartphone or tablet, the fully integrated virtual visit feature is mobile and eliminates the need to switch between multiple digital tools for seamless workflow, easing the burden on physicians and allowing them to focus more of their time on patient care. The intuitive video call interface can then be placed side-by-side with the physician’s other EMR features, allowing them to take notes and review patient records at the same time. Meanwhile, patients can open the appointment link from their web browser, whether on their desktop computer or mobile device, and have the video appointment with their primary care physician. The feature offers both full audio and video capabilities, as well as a chat function through which written messages can be exchanged.
“In the face of this pandemic, we are working extremely hard to give Canadian clinicians the right digital tools to effectively help their patients and support their continuity of care,” says Dr. Diane McIntosh, Chief Neuroscience Officer, TELUS Health. “We’ve made it a priority to make EMR-integrated virtual care available much sooner, allowing our physicians to securely connect with their patients and conduct virtual consultations via video on the same platform they already use to update digital records and information.”
