The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) said today that physicians across the province are showing keen interest in the new provincially funded program to transition physician offices from paper-based records to electronic medical records.
This past week, OntarioMD, the OMA subsidiary charged with the delivery of the electronic medical records program, received over 650 enquiries about the program from physicians. Over 165 physicians across Ontario have already applied to be part of the program.
"There is pent-up demand for this program," said Dr. Suzanne Strasberg, President of the Ontario Medical Association. Ensuring that electronic medical records are available in every doctor's office is an important step towards improving and strengthening Ontario's health care system."
With electronic medical records, physicians are able to prevent adverse drug reactions when writing and renewing prescriptions. They can manage lab results and help develop preventative care strategies. Doctors have ready access to their patient's history, know what tests have been done and when to schedule periodic checks and tests. Physicians also use these electronic records to help their patients manage chronic disease, such as diabetes and depression. Patients can be confident that their information will be available when their physician or someone on his or her team needs it.
The OMA is partnering with eHealth Ontario to increase the number of family physicians and specialists who use and share electronic medical records. Currently 3,300 primary care physicians have made the transition to electronic medical records. Now, with this new program, an additional 5,700 physicians will be supported. By 2012, 9,000 physicians, including more than 65 per cent of primary care physicians, will be using electronic medical records, to the benefit of approximately 10 million Ontarians.
"The adoption of electronic medical records is one of the most important tools needed to increase efficiency throughout the entire healthcare system," said the Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.