For the first time, Hamilton patients can find their medical records in one place
Published June 1, 2022 at 11:38 am
Beginning this Saturday, Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) will move to a new $175-million fully electronic hospital information system called Epic.
Dozens of electronic and paper systems will be replaced by the new system, helping hospital staff and physicians spend much less time looking for information.
For the first time, every patient’s medical information will be available in one place. Patients will be able to access their own information, as well.
“The launch of Epic is the largest patient safety and quality initiative in our history. It will greatly improve the experience for patients, staff and physicians, and most importantly, enable us to deliver care more safely,” says Rob MacIsaac, President & CEO of HHS. “We are proud of the work that has taken place to ensure HHS remains at the forefront of leading academic, teaching and research hospitals in Canada.”
Patients will no longer need to repeat their health history each time they meet with someone at HHS or visit an HHS clinic for the first time. Their information will be documented in a new electronic medical record at their first interaction and updated during the course of their care.
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HHS staff and physicians have been planning and preparing for Epic for more than two years.
“While the pandemic added a layer of complexity, it also highlighted that improvements to patient safety can’t take a back seat,” says Dr. Barry Lumb, executive lead, Epic implementation. “Our patients should be confident in the care that they receive at our hospital.”
HHS is one of the busiest hospitals in Ontario. Every day, staff and physicians provide care to nearly 4,400 patients.
“In addition to the patient benefits, Epic will improve our organization’s ability to analyze health data,” says Dave McCaig, executive vice president, corporate affairs and CFO. “The system has powerful reporting tools that will help leaders use data to make faster and better decisions about patient care, staff workload, service and safety improvements, and more so that we can effectively meet the health needs of our region for decades to come.”
MyChart will be accessible through the web, or as an app that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play
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