TELUS Health virtual care now integrated into electronic medical records across Canada

Toronto – As demand for virtual care surges during the global pandemic, today, TELUS Health announced the next advancement in the digital integration of its employer-focused virtual care service, Akira by TELUS Health, with its own electronic medical records (EMRs); and in Ontario with HRM® (Health Report Manager), the provincial report delivery system. This integration means that more informed primary care can be provided as critical patient health information is delivered seamlessly into one medical chart so patients using this virtual care platform through their employee benefits programs will effectively receive better continuity of care.

“Integration is a critical component of TELUS Health’s virtual care strategy and promises to transform the way Canadians access and experience healthcare,” said François Gratton, executive vice president, TELUS and group president, TELUS Health. “Until now, the process for patients receiving support through an employer-paid virtual care program to ensure consultation notes were integrated into their family physician’s medical record was a very manual process using antiquated technologies every time. This important digital transformation helps reduce barriers to data sharing, supporting a more secure transfer of critical health information, and strengthening collaboration between clinicians across the public health system.”

In Ontario, TELUS Health’s virtual care service is also now connected to more than 12,000 clinicians throughout the province via the HRM which supports:

• The safe exchange of data across health teams, which has been shown to help prevent gaps in patient care and allows for more timely interventions which are crucial to the treatment of chronic conditions; and

• Improved chronic disease management. For the one in five Canadian adults living with a chronic disease, digital health solutions can provide improved care which can drive better workplace productivity as well as reduced absenteeism and disability leaves, positively impacting the sustainability of benefits plans.

Collectively, TELUS Health virtual care solutions reach more Canadians than any other provider in the country. This includes the more than two million users of the Akira by TELUS Health and EQ Care employer-focused solutions available on-demand nationally 24/7, in both official languages; and Babylon by TELUS Health which is accessible via a smartphone by tens of millions of residents across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario providing 1:1 video consultations with physicians local to the user, in multiple languages, and all covered by provincial health insurance plans.

The latest innovation in TELUS Health’s suite of virtual care offerings is designed to improve access to healthcare support and information for all Canadians.

It builds on the significant momentum TELUS Health has made in virtual care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which includes:

• Accelerating the development of seamlessly integrated EMR virtual care functionality into its platforms for clinicians across the country

• Adapting its Home Health Monitoring solution, which has been used to remotely monitor Canadian patients recovering in the comfort of their own homes in five provinces, including those with COVID-19 or chronic conditions in BC and AB, as well as transplant patients in SK.

• Expanding the Babylon by TELUS Health virtual care service to reach three additional provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario; providing access to allied health professionals such as mental health counsellors and dietitians; and offering new preventive health features that empower Canadians to play a more active role in their health.

• Strengthening its suite of virtual care offerings with the acquisition of EQ Care, a leading virtual care provider in Canada and its integrated virtual health and wellness platform, LifeJourney.

About TELUS Health

TELUS Health is a leader in digital health technology, providing virtual care, home health monitoring, electronic medical and health records, benefits and pharmacy management, and personal emergency response services. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied healthcare professionals, insurers, employers, and citizens, to progress its vision of transforming healthcare and empowering people to live healthier lives.

Through the TELUS Health Care Centres, teams of renowned and passionate healthcare professionals deliver best-in-class patient-centric care to thousands of Canadian employers, professionals, and families in more than 15 medical clinics located across the country.

For more information please visit: www.telushealth.com.

-30-

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jill Yetman
TELUS Public Relations
416-992-2639
[email protected]