HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, TELUS Health announced it is enabling 26,000 Canadian family doctors to conduct virtual visits with their patients by seamlessly integrating this functionality into its electronic medical records (EMRs) offering. TELUS Health has accelerated the development of this virtual video functionality in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, now that physicians in Atlantic Canada and across the country can use virtual care fee codes. Offered as a free service for the first four months, this new feature allows physicians to virtually support their own roster of patients while maintaining continuity of care and fully up-to-date health records.
“During these trying times, patient care continues to be our top priority,” said Dr. Robert Martel, Nova Scotia physician. “This new, seamlessly integrated virtual care feature allows me to stay connected with my patients and provide them with the support they need without increasing risk of exposure to the virus. I am a big fan of virtual care especially for the potential to support palliative care patients in their home.”
The new virtual care feature empowers physicians to book appointments, conduct video consultations and update patient records all within their EMR. Available from desktop, smartphone or tablet, the fully integrated virtual visit feature is mobile and eliminates the need to switch between multiple digital tools for seamless workflow, easing the burden on physicians and allowing them to focus more of their time on patient care. The intuitive video call interface can then be placed side-by-side with the physician’s other EMR features, allowing them to take notes and review patient records at the same time. Meanwhile, patients can open the appointment link from their web browser, whether on their desktop computer or mobile device, and have the video appointment with their primary care physician. The feature offers both full audio and video capabilities, as well as a chat function through which written messages can be exchanged.
“As the situation with COVID-19 in the Maritimes continues to evolve, we have a duty to equip our valued healthcare professionals with the right digital tools to help their patients and support their continuity of care,” said Ken Power, Regional Director, Atlantic Canada, TELUS. “Our team has been working extremely hard to make EMR-integrated virtual care available much sooner, enabling physicians to conduct secure and convenient virtual consultations with their patients, while maintaining digital records and information.”
About TELUS Health and Payment Solutions
TELUS Health is a leader in digital health technology solutions such as home health monitoring, electronic medical and health records, virtual care, benefits and pharmacy management as well as personal emergency response services. TELUS Health is leveraging the power of technology to improve access to care and revolutionize the flow of health information to create better outcomes for Canadians while facilitating collaboration, efficiency and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied healthcare professionals, insurers, employers and citizens. TELUS Payment Solutions complements our health solutions by delivering secure, industry-compliant payment and lending solutions that connect lenders, payors, insurers, extended health care providers and financial institutions to their customers across Canada.
For more information please visit: www.telushealth.com and www.telus.com/payment-solutions.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jill Yetman
TELUS PR Team
416-992-2639
jill.yetman@telus.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71b73d3f-96f7-4667-90b9-e5b9f585f7ab