Nova Scotia Well being says new know-how will ‘modernize’ and enhance most cancers care – Halifax
Nova Scotia Well being is adopting a brand new know-how aimed toward streamlining take care of most cancers sufferers.
Much like the lately introduced One Individual One Document, the brand new Oncology Transformation Undertaking (OTP) is bringing collectively key oncology data programs to create a single entry level for most cancers sufferers and their care groups.
READ MORE: New affected person medical data system coming to N.S. in $365M contract
“That is revolutionary,” mentioned Dr. Bruce Colwell, an oncologist with Most cancers Care Nova Scotia.
“That is actually going to make an enormous distinction. I spend an inordinate period of time doing paperwork and we’re going to do away with paper.”
OTP is a option to modernize most cancers care and permit for real-time communication between most cancers centres in addition to sufferers and their care groups. Along with being a communication software, the system will even present information analytics which can assist to reinforce most cancers remedy.
“We don’t have good information proper now in any respect,” Colwell mentioned.
“We don’t know what we’re doing when it comes to how a lot drug wastage now we have, how nicely the remedies are working. This offers us oncology-specific information which is nowhere in any of the EMRs [Electronic Medical Records].”

The system is touted as revolutionary for rural care, with the affected person portal giving sufferers extra entry to their care crew and serving to scale back pointless journey.
“The affected person will really feel this and can really feel this in an impactful manner,” mentioned Dr. Amanda Caissie, interim head of radiation oncology.
Caissie mentioned the system will allow sufferers to entry their care crew in a seamless manner virtually 24/7, and hopefully stop emergency room visits as a result of sufferers shall be ready “to speak their signs earlier and get the care they want earlier than they current too late.”
Nova Scotia has among the many highest most cancers incidence charges within the nation and, in keeping with Caissie, the province additionally has one of many worst most cancers loss of life charges within the nation. She mentioned that this new know-how will assist observe and analyze how affected person care may be improved.
“It’s not simply an digital software,” Caissie mentioned.
“It’s a software that’s going to assist us change the way in which we ship most cancers care and enhance outcomes for sufferers.”
“I hope sometime we’ll have the ability to current that these outcomes for most cancers sufferers aren’t the worst within the nation, that they’re the perfect within the nation.”
The know-how is being created by Varian, a world chief in oncology know-how. The system will launch this spring, with an accelerated 12-month timeline to totally combine it. It can even be appropriate with One Affected person One Document when that system launches.
The mission is essentially being funded via the operations of Nova Scotia Well being and the Most cancers Care program with the Province contributing $13-million to the Varian contract. To assist the mixing of the system the QEII basis can be fundraising as a part of its $100 million We Are marketing campaign.
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