McMaster Gets $5.8 Million To Improve Electronic Health Records

Joanna Frketich | TheSpec.com | September 13, 2012

McMaster University is getting $5.8 million from the federal government to create a personal health record that will let patients take control of their information and communicate with doctors online — including making appointments. It will also provide tips on how to live in a healthier way. “This is a paradigm shift,” said Dr. David Price, chair of the department of family medicine at McMaster. “This is really trying to enable the patient to manage their own health and work toward wellness.”

The personal health record, called MyOSCAR, is already being piloted at the McMaster Family Practice and the Stonechurch Family Health Centre. It is a partner to OSCAR, an electronic health record created by McMaster that is used by about 2,000 physicians in Canada.

MyOSCAR allows patients to own their medical record. All health care providers can have access but the patient controls what and how much they see. It also has applications that would help patients manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and live healthily by providing feedback on diet and exercise...