Web-based service accelerates access to information and decreases health care costs

McKesson Canada brings RelayHealth to Canada: new web-based service will transform the way health care providers and patients collaborate and exchange information

TORONTO, November 7, 2011 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Today at the Ontario Hospital Association's HealthAchieve 2011 Conference, McKesson Canada announced the launch of RelayHealth, a new web-based service that provides complete and secure information flow between patients and all of their health care providers coast to coast. Focused on the patient point of care, RelayHealth will accelerate information exchange, facilitate collaboration between health care providers, advance patient quality of care, and reduce overall health care costs.

"We live in a world where information can be shared openly and securely, regardless of location. When it comes to health care, a patient's quality of care can be jeopardized if their physician or specialist cannot access the most current and accurate information," says Dale Weil, Senior Vice President, Integrated Healthcare Solutions and Pharmaceutical Solutions, McKesson Canada. "By enabling information exchange among practitioners, laboratories and specialists, RelayHealth reduces duplication, provides faster diagnosis, decreases wait times and ensures that patient data is accessible anywhere, at any time. RelayHealth takes a patient-centred approach and puts the focus where it is needed - on the patient."

As noted by both Canada Health InfoWay and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Canada lags in the adoption of technology in health care. In its report "Healthcare Transformation in Canada", the CMA noted that health care information technology (HIT) must shift from multi-billion dollar investments at the hospital level to a renewed emphasis at the patient level (family physician consults) where the majority of Canadian patients interact with the health care delivery system. The report states that existing top-down investments have not yet resulted in significant benefits to providers or patients, due to the fact that all jurisdictions have focused their investment on large-scale HIT systems and architecture, with very little investment being made at the points of care where the actual benefits of HIT will be realized.

"RelayHealth promises to quickly automate and connect all ambulatory points of care to support clinicians, providing timely clinical value to patients and providers," says Diane Salois-Swallow, CIO at York Central Hospital, Southlake Regional Health Centre/ Stevenson Memorial Hospital within the Central Local Health Integration Network. "This service puts patients in the centre of care, with the potential of them becoming more self-sufficient and being able to make more informed decisions about their health and those of their family members."

RelayHealth is intended to be made available at no cost to patients through their health care systems and providers. It provides patients with the tools they need to better manage their own health and that of their dependents. All they need is a computer, Internet access and a password. It allows physicians and other health care providers, as well as patients to: share lab and diagnostic test results; make physician referral requests; book appointments; make prescription and refill requests; and reduce duplicate testing and medical errors.

"This innovative service truly fosters proactive collaboration between the different medical providers allowing patients to have one touch-point for all of their health needs," says Joseph Galli, Director and Co-founder of the Canadian Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation in Montreal, Quebec. "RelayHealth will help health organizations, governments and institutions to improve patient health outcomes, integrate health information, and deliver accessibility and cost efficiencies."

"RelayHealth can send and receive information by integrating with current provincial systems and databases which reduces complexity," adds Dale Weil of McKesson Canada. "The advantage of using this service is that it achieves savings in the shorter term for the health care system and it will help increase patient satisfaction. Also, because RelayHealth is delivered as a service, it accelerates implementation at a lower cost than other major health information technologies and it requires less maintenance. It is a convenient service that provides the same view, same patient information across the entire health network."

Founded more than 100 years ago, McKesson Canada is dedicated to delivering vital medications, supplies and information technologies that enable the health care industry to provide patients better, safer care. Our solutions empower pharmacies, manufacturers, hospitals and other health care institutions by enabling them to get closer to 12 million patients they serve every single day, while contributing to the quality and safety of care in Canada. For more information on RelayHealth, visit www.relayhealth.ca.