MyOSCAR: An Open Source PHR System Being Used in Canada

Back in September 2012,we reported that McMaster University was getting $5.8 million from the federal government to create a personal health record that would let patients take more control of their information and communicate with doctors online. Back then, MyOSCAR was being piloted at the McMaster Family Practice and the Stonechurch Family Health Centre.

It was announced today that patients of the Amari Medical Clinic and Integrated Health Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, have also gone live with MyOSCAR.  Patients can now have their most important and up-to-date test results, appointments, and healthcare stats integrated with their smart phone, laptop or tablet.

Cloud Practice, a medical technology company in Canada, recently installed the myOSCAR personal health record (PHR) system at the Amari Clinic. It is the first of several myOSCAR set ups by Cloud Practice for medical offices throughout the region.

MyOSCAR is an online, personal healthcare management tool originally launched in 2007. The MyOSCAR personal health record (PHR) facilitates sharing of patient information from the Open Source Clinical Applications & Resources (OSCAR) system. OSCAR is an 'open source' electronic health record (EHR) system developed in Canada. OSCAR was originally created by McMaster University and is used by about 2,000 physicians in Canada.

Just about any medical information contained in OSCAR can now be shared - including clinical test results, prescribed medications, and immunizations. MyOSCAR also allows patients to readily send messages to their doctors, book appointments, and fill out forms and surveys.

According to Dr. Sachit Shah, MD, a family physician with the Amari Clinic, "Our practice adopted myOSCAR with the goal of providing our patients a consolidated health record for easier access to all of their important medical data, and to streamline communication with our medical team. We are impressed with the system so far, and anticipate it will deliver significant benefit for our practice and our patient community."

Consumers in Canada, the U.S., and around the world  ought to learn more about personal health record (PHR) systems and start using them. Your personal health record is probably more important than your online personal bank account. In fact, your health is probably more important to you than your money. Think about how many times have you needed to know what prescriptions you're on, shots you had, surgical procedures, allergies, family medical histories, and more.

The following are selected  links to information about key free or 'open' Personal Health Record (PHR) systems and resources that you might want to check out: