N.S. oncologists welcome new digital records, communication program

Dr. Bruce Colwell says he's been frustrated with the communications systems at his hospital.

The Nova Scotia oncologist said he spends much of his valuable time filling out paperwork and has to rely on sticky notes to update some patient records. The inefficient system can affect how long patients wait for treatment.

That's why he's excited about a new program to modernize and streamline cancer treatment communications in Nova Scotia.

"This is revolutionary. This is really going to make a big difference," Colwell said Friday in Halifax during an announcement about the new system.

The Oncology Transformation Project will be a single access point for a cancer patient's records, referrals and treatment plan. It will also allow all the cancer treatment departments in the province to co-ordinate and share data.

The province recently announced the One Patient, One Record system to digitize patients records and streamline communication between departments. Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson said the Oncology Transformation Project system is similar, but is more tailored to cancer care and oncology teams. It will work in conjunction with One Patient, One Record.

The new program also includes an online portal which will allow cancer patients to report symptoms and communicate with their care teams from home.

Nova Scotia Health has already piloted the portal with great success, said oncologist Dr. Amanda Caissie.

"We hope to have an impact not just to the patient and what they see, but to the system as a whole," she said. "Decreasing emergency room visits, decreasing admission rates to hospital — it's the communication, not just between the health-care team, but between the health-care team and the patient."

Varian, an oncology treatment and software company, created the system. A Varian representative said the platform in Nova Scotia will use an updated version of their software that isn't yet in use in the rest of North America.

A spokesperson for Nova Scotia Health said the province will be contributing $13 million to the Varian contract. The QEII Foundation is currently fundraising to help fully implement the program. It's unclear how much the contract is worth in total.

The province said the program is set to launch in the spring and should be fully operational within the year.

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