Smart Phone EHR Access Increases Convenience For Patients And Providers

Patients are now able to access their electronic health records on iPhone through WELL Health's health record feature. The company looks to empower patients through digital advancements and is now offering a more informed, personalized, and secure experience through encrypted connections.

WELL Health is now the first Canadian Telehealth service to provide patients with EMRs on the iPhone. The service is available to 2,200 health care clinics in Canada, reaching 10,700 physicians and more than 15 million patient records. To offer this service, OSCAR Pro-enabled clinics must opt in an configure to the service. Patients can then log in with a portal username and password. WELL Health electronic records can be located in the iPhone Health app. Multiple clinics may be selected to connect with in order to display information such as allergies, conditions, lab results, and medications.

These readings will be available in addition to the preexisting heart rate, nutrition, and other services provided by the Health app. Recent feedback on the service has been positive. CEO and Chairman of WELL, Hamed Shahbazi said, “Providing patients with an easy and convenient method to get access to their available health records right on their iPhone can help them more actively participate in their health, leading to better health outcomes and a higher patient understanding of their own overall health status.”

The service will also increase record transparency and enable users to make better decisions about their healthcare journey.  Users will also be notified when their data has been updated and when new records are available for viewing.

This new service is a result of WELL Health’s acquisition of the software company Intrahealth Systems.  The acquisition is worth $19 million and stipulates that WELL will utilize Intrahealth’s EMR and healthcare software.

While improved accessibility is certainly a benefit, the service is also mindful about prioritizing record security. WELL is keeping patient records safe through direct encrypted connections between the user’s iPhone and WELL’s EMR systems. Once patients have access to their records, they are downloaded on the device and encrypted with the user's passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.  The service was designed based on a standard for electronic medical record transferring known as Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, or FHIR.