TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 12, 2016) -
This document corrects and replaces the press release that was sent today at 8:30 am ET. An animated graphic was added at the end of this press release.
Canadians can order a pizza, a movie or a taxi online or from an app on their smartphone, but according to a new study conducted by Maru/VCR&C and commissioned by TELUS Health, Canada's largest health IT company, Canadians are craving technology solutions that will allow them to better manage their healthcare. Of those surveyed, 89 per cent believe digital health technology will lead to better care. Further, at least 85 per cent report missing out on digital tools that would allow them to take control of their personal health just as effortlessly as other day-to-day activities.
The survey also found that 89 per cent of millennials, 83 per cent of Gen Xers and 79 per cent of baby boomers say they feel comfortable with the idea of digital health technology tools; with nearly nine out of 10 (87 per cent) of all respondents saying they are comfortable with sharing their medical history digitally between their healthcare providers.
"Both physicians and patients have significantly changed their attitudes towards digital communication over the past few years," said Dr. Sacha Bhatia, a cardiologist in Toronto. "Doctors are much more comfortable communicating with patients and other healthcare providers using electronic means. I also think patients have seen the benefits of the internet and online services in their daily lives, and they expect to be able to have those same benefits when accessing health services."
Surprisingly, despite Canadian's belief in the importance of digital health solutions and how much they use digital tools in other parts of their lives, at most only 15 per cent of Canadians reported conducting any kind of health-related activity online.
In fact, most (at least 48 per cent) are unaware of services that are already available through electronic methods at medical offices, health clinics or pharmacies in some parts of the country. For example, only 14 per cent of Canadians surveyed have viewed lab results online and 61 per cent reported that they didn't even know that it was possible to do so, even though many of Canada's specimen collection labs will let patients check their results online.
More from the TELUS Health Digital Life survey
• Canadians surveyed ranked personal banking (75 per cent), social media (51 per cent) and shopping (50 per cent) among the most important things they do online, while fewer than half of Canadians (48 per cent) ranked access to personal medical records as one of their top online activities.
• Of those surveyed, 81 per cent agreed that health information should be shared digitally between doctors and pharmacists, and 75 per cent of respondents agree that electronic prescriptions would limit the number of medical errors.
• More than three-quarters (76 per cent) of Canadians surveyed believe that electronic medical records (EMRs) improve communication between doctors and their patients. An EMR replaces the paper charts doctors keep with a digital file to track all of a patient's medical history, lab results and prescriptions in one place.
• Canadians' attitudes towards EMRs are overwhelmingly positive, though 56 per cent of respondents couldn't say if their family doctor used one. According to a 2015 Canadian Institute for Health Information study, 73 per cent of Canadian primary care physicians use EMRs.
• The majority of Canadians surveyed agree that EMRs provide accurate information to doctors about their patients (80 per cent), help doctors diagnose patients more effectively and more efficiently (75 per cent) and allow for safe and secure sharing of medical information with patients, pharmacists, other doctors and specialists (71 per cent).
The future of healthcare
"Our health is our most prized possession, and Canadians may not realize that by embracing technology we can all better manage our health and the health of our loved ones," said Hélène Chartier, Vice-President, Go-to-Market, Strategy & Enablement at TELUS Health. "Whether it's to refill your prescription online or to get an alert when your child's medication runs low, we all need to ask our doctors how we can do more to technology to help understand our health. The more we use digital tools to manage and share relevant health information with our doctors, the more ubiquitous this technology will become in our everyday lives and transform the way Canadians receive care."
The TELUS Health Digital Life survey was in field from May 30 to June 3, 2016. The collected responses are balanced such that the results will be representative of Canada by region and age. Results are reported with a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is a leader in telehomecare, electronic medical and health records, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. TELUS Health solutions give health authorities, providers, physicians, patients and consumers the power to turn information into better health outcomes. For more information about TELUS Health, please visit telushealth.com .
An animated graphic is downloadable at the following link: https://edelmanftp.box.com/s/6xoqaez2a19tgmva...a114rl8c5w
