2024-07-03 18:54:01
Nova Scotians can now easily access their medical records thanks to an app on their smartphones. For example, they can get the results of a blood test or a complete list of medications. However, the application is only available in English for those 16 and older, something the Nova Scotia Youth Council condemned.
The YourHealthNS app allows patients to access their health records online. According to the Ministry of Health, this allows them to actively participate in the health care they receive.
Health Minister Michelle Thompson believes this is a tool for everyone and it’s a great day for Nova Scotians.
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Michelle Thompson is Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health. (Archived photo)
Photo: CBC/Robert Short
By downloading the app, Nova Scotians with a provincial health insurance card will be able to get information about their prescriptions and doses, vaccinations, lab and medical imaging results, and hospital visits.
According to the Ministry of Health, laboratory test results will be available on the app seven days after receipt by a healthcare provider, and medical imaging information will be available on the app after 14 days.
300,000 downloads, but usage not measured
The YourHealthNS app launched eight months ago and has cost $15 million to date. Scott McKenna, director of information for the Nova Scotia Health Authority, said more than 300,000 Nova Scotians have downloaded the software.
The idea is to provide citizens with as much information as possible so they can take their information with them wherever they go, he said, adding that citizens now have easy access to a complete list of medications.
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The YourHealthNS app allows Nova Scotians to access their medical records online. The application is only available in English.
Photo: Radio-Canada
However, out of respect for privacy, the Ministry of Health cannot confirm how many people have actually used the app so far, nor what content they have viewed on it.
That surprised the NDP health spokesman.
Susan LeBlanc said it was a strange answer because, yes, we have to be able to measure whether public funds are being used to their full potential.
Application form in English, suitable for those aged 16 and over
As in New Brunswick, the application is open to Nova Scotians 16 years and older. In Quebec, this health record is available starting at age 14.
For its part, the Nova Scotia Youth Council hopes to make virtual medical records available to those 12 and older.
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Nova Scotia Youth Council President Elle Peters (file photo)
Photo: Courtesy/Elle Peters
12 years old is the time when you can start to find autonomy and start taking care of yourself”,”text”:”When you are 12 years old, it is the time when we can start to find autonomy and start to take care of ourselves”}}”>When we At 12 years old, we can start to find autonomy and take care of ourselves — even, says the organization’s president, Elle Peters.
She added that children tend to reach maturity faster than in the past. She said she understands parents’ desire to focus on their children’s health, but stressed that some children could certainly benefit from such personalized visits relevant to their life circumstances.
It’s nice to be able to get your own care in an environment where it’s unsafe and difficult to talk to your parents. She adds that failure to access health can lead to more serious problems.
Currently, the application is only available in English, but the province says it is evaluating all comments received and all possibilities going forward.
The Youth Council found it important to offer the course in French because the world of health is sometimes complex, especially when speaking a second language.
Ellie Peters says that when you don’t understand, you lose a little bit of control.
Reported by Adrian Blanc
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