This fall, when my partner and I learned we were expecting a little one, we were over the moon. However, this happy news quickly came with an overwhelm of information. Thankfully, I knew about what digital health tools were available to help make my experience as an expecting parent easier. I’m now over halfway through my pregnancy – here are some of the Northern Health digital health tools I’ve used so far.
HealthElife - Review ultrasound reports and book lab appointments
I use HealthElife to get secure, online access to my electronic health record. From my phone I can view my ultrasound reports, and I can also see my lab (blood work) results.
P.S. if you don’t want to know the sex of your baby: don’t look at your anatomy ultrasound report! We are keeping the sex of our baby a surprise and thankfully my colleague warned me that this information is included in the anatomy (also called detailed) ultrasound report. My ultrasound technologist also warned me. She explained that when they’re looking at the baby’s anatomy, and if the baby’s sex organs can be seen, they must include that information so they can check for certain conditions. For example, baby boys have their kidney development checked, since certain kidney abnormalities are more common in male fetuses. Who knew?
I also use HealthElife to book my Northern Health lab appointments online. This process has been easy and convenient! I can book my appointments to get bloodwork done right from my phone.
myhealthkey - Book appointments with a doctor and securely share information
If you have a doctor or nurse practitioner, ask if they use myhealthkey. Like HealthElife, myhealthkey is another digital health tool that gives you access to your electronic health record. It also allows you to communicate with your health care provider. I asked my doctor’s office to sign me up (they have to do it for you) and then I was able to see my upcoming appointments online and get appointment reminders on my phone.
It came in handy one day when my doctor had to change my lab requisition. Instead of having to go to their office and pick up the paperwork, they were able to share the new lab requisition with me in my myhealthkey account. Then, I was able to securely download and print it at home. This saved me time and effort – score!
How I’ll use digital health tools moving forward
Using HealthEife and myhealthkey has been extremely helpful and convenient during my pregnancy. I plan to continue using them for the rest of my pregnancy and postpartum. Now that children aged 11 and younger can be signed up for HealthElife, I’ll definitely get an account for my child once they’re born. It’ll be one way I can stay informed as a parent and have access to their health information. You can find out how to sign up your child for a HealthElife account on the Northern Health website.
I hope sharing my experience is helpful for other expecting parents out there. There’s a lot for us to know and do! Did you know about these tools? Do you use them? Let me know in the comments.
Where to find Northern Health digital health tool information
Additionally, there are helpful pregnancy and baby resources on the Northern Health website - Pregnancy and baby.
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