Candian telecoms firm Telus has announced the availability of Telus Health Space, it’s personal health records service based on Microsoft’s HealthVault platform.
The Telus PHR service is the first instance of HealthVault to be licensed internationally outside the US. Telus will market the PHR service to healthcare providers and insurers to offer to their members and patients. The company says 12 Canadian health organizations have signed up to collaborate on embedding applications, medical devices and educational materials.
Powered by Microsoft HealthVault, Telus Health Space will enable individual Canadians will be able to keep all their personal healthcare information – such as lab results and prescription information – in an online database for access over any Internet connection.
Telus says the new consumer health platform can serve as the foundation for building new models of care in Canada helping Canadians take an active role in living healthier lifestyles. Health Space is said to be support a variety of online tools for health and wellbeing and chronic disease management.
The platform is being offered for licensing by healthcare organizations, including provincial governments, health authorities, hospitals, insurers, individual practitioners and employers.
Telus Health Space is the first consumer health platform in Canada to gain Canada Health Infoway pre-implementation certification for providing a secure, interoperable application environment and personal health information platform.
“Today is an important day for Telus, and our partners in the health industry as we mark a significant milestone in our shared commitment to revolutionize healthcare in Canada,” said Darren Entwistle, president and CEO, Telus.
He said that while technology has transformed the way citizens access services and information in many facets of their lives, health has yet to make the jump. “Until now, Canadians have been inhibited from gaining similar access to information when it comes to their healthcare. We should be able to consult treatment plans electronically, schedule appointments online with our doctors, securely access our health information and share it effectively with our network of care providers.”
Telus Health Space is the first international deployment of Microsoft’s HealthVault platform and the first consumer health platform to gain Canada Health Infoway pre-implementation certification. Eric Gales, president, Microsoft Canada, said: “Empowering consumers to have more meaningful interaction and control over their health information is critical to health transformation.”
Health providers, hospitals, health regions, institutions and employers can now license the platform and offer it to their patients and employees.
“It is absolutely a wonderful time for us to take full advantage of the Internet, smart phones, and advanced electronic technologies not only to help us to manage our diseases and illnesses, but also to live healthier lives and achieve optimal wellness,” said Dr. Kendall Ho, associate professor, department of emergency medicine, and director, eHealth strategy office at the faculty of medicine, University of British Columbia.
Telus Health Solutions’ partners and sponsors include Asthma Society of Canada, Canadian Diabetes Association, Canadian Mental Health Association, Dapasoft, HealthScreen, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Johnson & Johnson LifeScan, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, MedicAlert, OMRON, Shepell.fgi and Sunnybrook Health Sciences.
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