A new digital patient portal is coming to your local hospital, making your records accessible to you from anywhere.
Through a software called “Connect My Health”, you can access information like radiology reports, hospital discharge summaries, labs and more.
Katherine Perkin is an integration system planner with Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team – she says that connectivity across hospitals throughout Southwestern Ontario is key.
Locally, Huron Health System, Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, as well as Listowel and Wingham Hospital Alliance are all participating in Connect My Health.
Registration is thorough, and requires authentication to ensure that you’re the only one that has access to your information. On the back end, there’s also detailed logging and auditing, as well a system that limits the access of your information only to physicians within your “circle of care”.
Perkin says that giving patients access to their own records allows them to make informed decisions about their health, and allows them to participate in their care more actively.
Although the move increases accessibility, some may find that there are technical barriers to access- while opting into Connect My Health is completely optional, if you need help understanding how to access your records, there is support available through the website, or by phone.
Having access to their own records gives patients the ability to participate in their own healthcare, offering a transparent way for them to access their own health information, whenever and wherever they want.
The hope is that this digital solution is the first step to a brighter and more accessible future for healthcare.
Written by: B. Shakyaver