Imagine having a secure way to check your test results anytime, without having to go in to a clinic or doctor’s office! Two new projects by Northern Health are working towards this, empowering you to take a more active role in your health care:
- HealtheLife will let you see the results of tests you’ve had done at the hospital (e.g., lab results and imaging reports).
- myhealthkey will let you see health information from visits to your doctor or nurse practitioner (e.g., lab results and imaging reports; eventually, you’ll be able to schedule your own appointments).
Like NH Check In, HealtheLife and myhealthkey are examples of what Northern Health is doing to make physical distancing easier. However, it’s important to know that all these tools are optional. If you like, you can still go to your clinic or doctor’s office to get your test results – you don’t have to use HealtheLife.
“This is the result of years of collaboration, focused on improving coordinated and accessible services to patients and their families all over the North,” says Bjorn Butow, Northern Health’s director, clinical information systems.
Empowering people to access their own health information through secure patient portals is a growing trend, as seen by Interior Health’s MyHealthPortal and Island Health’s MyHealth.
For help understanding your test results and to get advice on what steps to take next, you’ll still need to talk to your health care provider.
Before being rolled out to the public, HealtheLife is being tested by Northern Health staff members. More than 430 staff members are currently signed up, and feedback has been positive so far.
“I thought HealtheLife was really cool,” says staff member Anne Scott of Prince George. “It was great to be able to check my own lab results online whenever I felt like it.”
myhealthkey will also be tested by staff members, but will be released at a later date than HealtheLife.
Stay tuned – more updates to come!
Comments