More money available for N.B. physicians to adopt electronic medical records

A stethoscope and cellphone are pictured in an undated image. (Pexels/Negative Space)

Physicians in New Brunswick will now be able to access more government money to move to electronic medical records.

According to the province, the new tentative physician services agreement includes enhancements to the electronic medical records funding program with the budget increasing to $1.75 million.

“For the first time, every physician in our province can access funding to adopt and operate an electronic medical record of their choice in their clinic. This approach has been shown across the country to increase electronic medical record adoption rates to the benefit of patients, physicians and the health system as a whole,” said Dr. Lise Babin, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society, in a news release.

On Friday, the province announced its strategy to develop a more “modern, connected and patient-centred” digital health system.

“Advancing digital health is more than simply converting paper records to digital files; it’s about transforming care in a holistic way that goes beyond technology,” said Health Minister John Dornan.

“This strategy is intended to help guide investments to support health-care teams with better tools, empower patients to take charge of their health, and make the health system more proactive, collaborative and resilient.”

The province’s strategy has five core goals, including:

• Empowering people to manage their health, by helping them securely access their health information
• Improving the provider experience, by reducing paperwork and simplifying day-to-day tasks
• Enabling seamless, secure sharing of health information among hospitals, clinics and community care settings
• Using advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to gather data, reveal patterns and reduce time spent on manual tasks
• Upgrading systems, adopting more agile ways of working, managing data responsibly and ensuring digital health tools are inclusive, accessible and equitable

“This strategy lays out a vision to use digital innovation to improve care for patients and offer a more rewarding and attractive work experience for health-care providers,” said Premier Susan Holt.

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