TELUS technology opens the way for Canadians to manage their personal healthcare records electronically

 

TELUS health space is now available for licensing by healthcare organizations including provincial governments, health authorities, hospitals, insurers, individual practitioners and employers. TELUS health space is the first consumer health platform in Canada to gain Canada Health Infoway pre-implementation certification for providing a secure, interoperable application environment and personal health information platform. TELUS is also pleased to announce that 12 leading national health organizations are collaborating with TELUS to embed life-changing applications, medical devices and educational materials into TELUS health space.  

 

Powered by Microsoft HealthVault, TELUS health space is a cutting-edge, high-security data storage and sharing service where individual Canadians will be able to keep all their personal healthcare information – such as lab results and prescription information – in an online database for access over any Internet connection.

 

“Today is an important day for TELUS, and our partners in the health industry as we mark a significant milestone in our shared commitment to revolutionize healthcare in Canada,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUS. “In other areas of our lives, technology has empowered us with convenience, speed and access to information whether it is paying bills online, changing a flight from your wireless device or downloading music and movies to your phone. Yet, up until now, Canadians have been inhibited from gaining similar access to information when it comes to their healthcare. We should be able to consult treatment plans electronically, schedule appointments online with our doctors, securely access our health information and share it effectively with our network of care providers.”

 

With the user-friendly TELUS health space application, Canadians can create, store and manage all aspects of their health information and that of their family, such as immunizations, allergies, medications, height, weight, symptoms, key medical measurements, pre-existing conditions, as well as their medical history. For example:

•Patients with health monitoring requirements will be able to aggregate their results in the privacy and comfort of their own home and share that information with their physician.

•Caring for aging parents will be much simpler. Responsible family members can help to update, review and share their aging parent’s health information with healthcare providers to allow for more informed decision making and greater peace of mind.

 

“We congratulate TELUS on its efforts to rally both healthcare industry and citizen momentum around the way that Canadians engage and participate in their health and wellness,” said Eric Gales, President, Microsoft Canada. “Empowering consumers to have more meaningful interaction and control over their health information is critical to health transformation. We’re pleased to support the TELUS health space platform and participating partners as they develop a new generation of online health management applications powered by Microsoft HealthVault, all of which focus on accelerating the move towards consumer-centric healthcare.”

 

TELUS health space is the first international deployment of Microsoft’s HealthVault platform and the first consumer health platform to gain Canada Health Infoway pre-implementation certification. Health providers, hospitals, health regions, institutions and employers can license the platform and offer it to their patients and employees. 

 

“It is absolutely a wonderful time for us to take full advantage of the Internet, smart phones, and advanced electronic technologies not only to help us to manage our diseases and illnesses, but also to live healthier lives and achieve optimal wellness,” said Dr. Kendall Ho, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, and Director, eHealth Strategy Office at the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia.

TELUS Health Solutions’ partners and sponsors include Asthma Society of Canada, Canadian Diabetes Association, Canadian Mental Health Association, Dapasoft, HealthScreen, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Johnson & Johnson LifeScan, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, MedicAlert, OMRON, Shepell.fgi and Sunnybrook Health Sciences.