Working so collaboratively with primary care physicians at Group Health Centre means pharmacists now have accurate and comprehensive medical data on the patients they care for, which will help reduce adverse medical events.
"With access to GHC's electronic records, pharmacists in Sault Ste. Marie are now able to fully collaborate with physicians and the rest of the provider team and resolve drug-related issues more effectively and efficiently for their patients," said Ken Burns, pharmacist and chair of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association.
"The addition of pharmacists is a natural and long overdue component of the circle of care. This program enables me to make better use of the expertise provided by pharmacists, make more efficient use of my time and hopefully, provides a more convenient and effective patient experience," said Dr. Lewis O'Brien, Family Physician, Algoma District Medical Group, Physician Lead, EMRxtra Project.
Launched in August 2006 as a pilot project with 300 patients, EMRxtra is one of more than 240 initiatives across Canada that are uncovering efficiencies throughout the country's health care system by digitizing the information flow. These projects will also save money, help reduce the number of adverse medical events and improve patient safety.
EMRxtra is supported by a $2 million investment from Canada Health Infoway.
"To make the most of our health care system, we need to provide the tools clinicians need to deliver the care their patient deserve," said Richard Alvarez, President and CEO of Canada Health Infoway, the federally-funded, independent not-for-profit organization which invests with public sector partners to accelerate electronic health records across Canada. "As other industries have already proven, information technologies can provide a tremendous upside in terms of improving productivity and service delivery. While we're still in the early days of leveraging IT in our health care system here in Canada, the work that's being done in Group Health Centre stands as one of the country's 'shining lights'."
About Group Health Centre (GHC): A multidisciplinary, not-for-profit, community-based health organization serving over 60,000 primary care patients in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District. Our vision is to provide leadership and achieve excellence in healthcare and wellness promotion in an atmosphere of caring and respect for the individual. GHC is home to one of the most technologically advanced physician group practices (The Algoma District Medical Group) in Canada with an electronic medical record (EMR) system implemented since 1997 and is considered as a primary care model across Canada. With the exception of the pharmacist, our multidisciplinary team is very comprehensive, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, chiropodists, dietitians, optometrists, audiologists and others.
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