Cowichan Tribes and Mustimuhw Information Solutions — created by Cowichan Tribes to address unique First Nations health centres — today announced a partnership with McKesson Canada’s RelayHealth.
Founded 100 years ago, McKesson Canada partners with hospitals and insurers to distribute healthcare solutions. RelayHealth is a web platform that allows secure information flow between patients and their healthcare provider to reduce overall healthcare costs. The 18-month pilot project — called Closing the Circle of Care — will allow 400 patients from the Cowichan Tribes to gain access to their healthcare records and the ability to message their healthcare providers online.
“We will now be able to view all of our patients’ records – whether they are from the community health nurse, the primary care team, or a family physician in town – in a single file,” said Christina Nishimura, Primary Care Nurse Manager for Slhexun sun’ts’a clinic at Ts’ewulhtun Health Centre. “Not only does this let us better coordinate care for our patients, but by giving patients access to this comprehensive record, it also allows them to schedule their own appointments, view lab results and directly message their full array of care providers with any questions or concerns they may have – it’s as easy as email.”
Cowichan Tribes is the largest First Nation in British Columbia. For the past 15 years, Cowichan Tribes has been dedicated to creating solutions for health delivery and connectivity that reflect a First Nations philosophy of individual empowerment, including the use of the Mustimuhw community electronic medical record (cEMR).
“Enabling our citizens to be active participants in their circle of care is an important and necessary step as we improve health outcomes for Cowichan Tribes,” said Maureen Tommy, General Manager at Cowichan Tribes and President of Mustimuhw.
Photo via Unitech CM