Over 37,000 health care practitioners across southwest Ontario are now able to share electronic patient information through a new system called ClinicalConnect.
The secure system can share laboratory test results, and diagnostic imaging between hospitals, family doctors and other specialists who are connected to the system.
Local emergency room physician Dr. Tony Merino says this improves patient care all around. "It's been a useful tool in closing a loop on making sure that the information that's available is in my hands when I have to make a decision," says Dr. Merino.
ClinicalConnect is also expected to provide savings to the health care system overall. "There's potential reduction in test ordering and therefore cost to the system," says Dr. Merino. All acute care hospitals, regional cancer centres and Community Care Access Centres in southwestern Ontario are connected to the system in addition to many family doctors and specialist. It cost around $50-million over five years to implement the program.