Ottawa area hospitals among first in Canada to offer health records access via iPhone

Hospitals in the region are helping to lead the way in a new area of healthcare, this time involving computer medicine.

Institutions across Ottawa will now offer access to health records on their iPhone, which brings together hospitals, clinics and existing Apple Health apps to make it easier for patients to see their available medical data from multiple providers whenever they choose.

The feature is part of the Health app, which also shows activity, heart rate, nutrition and other health data consolidated from a person’s iPhone, Apple Watch and HealthKit-enabled third-party apps.

This feature is now available to patients from Arnprior Regional Health, Bruyère, Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital, Glengarry Memorial Hospital, Montfort and Queensway Carleton Hospital, also collectively known as the CHAMP partnership.

As Arnprior Regional Health explains, the app allows patients to download and see a central view of their allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab result, medications, procedures and vital.

It also notifies patients when their data is updated.

Patients from these hospitals can access Health Records from within the health app and can download their health records by using their existing Connected Care Patient Portal account credentials.

“It really does empower patients and the owners of their health records and share it with whomever you wish,” Eric Morrison manager of applications and operations in technology services at the Queensway Carleton Hospital, told The Sam Laprade Show on Thursday, May 12.

That way, Morrison explains, patients can now recall the names of procedures, medications and more that they may have forgotten about or don’t entirely understand.

“This is a fabulous tool for those of us who want a deeper understanding of the health care we received while we were at the hospital,” Deborah Clark, chair of the patient and family advisory council at Arnprior Regional Health, said in a statement.

“I want to know what tests were done and what were the results. I also want to know what treatments were prescribed. Health Records on iPhone provides convenient, secure access to that personal health information. For many of us, knowing really helps us move along our personal health journey. For the families who support us, knowing improves our home care after the hospital stay.”

Connected Care is a free online patient portal that enables patients to access their patient information from any CHAMP hospitals, including medications and visit summaries, securely from their device.

While there are no associated fees, Morrison says for now, iPhone users are the only users who are able to access the feature.

Health Records on iPhone was designed to protect patients’ privacy through a direct, encrypted connected between the user’s iPhone and the health care organization.

Listen to the full interview Eric Morrison on The Sam Laprade Show below: