Electronic Medical Records

SEMI is fully Digital, using ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS!

SEMI was among the first, if not the first, sport medicine clinics of its kind in Canada, to adopt an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) platform for administering patient care. Traditionally, paper records have been the mainstay for the recording and storage of patient data. EMR systems enable clinics to use computers to perform these tasks.

These systems are the future of healthcare, and Canada's federal and provincial governments are currently trying to move toward a system wide adoption of these systems, ultimately enabling all health care facilities and practitioners to access relevant patient health related data electronically. This means that each Canadian citizen will have their own electronic medical record. Ideally, this record will be accessible countrywide by facilities/practitioners having the appropriate security clearance to do so. For example, if your family doctor is in Toronto, and for some reason you end up in a hospital in British Columbia while on vacation there, the hospital team would be able to call up your EMR, which would contain your entire medical history and facilitate your treatment. So, regardless of where you receive healthcare in Canada, it all will be recorded on your EMR record.

How many facilities are currently make use of this technology?

Very few. But, the number is growing. Ultimately, all healthcare facilities in Canada will have to be electronic.

Why did SEMI switch?

We wanted a more efficient and secure way of recording and storing patient information. SEMI's EMR system is an Application Service Provider (ASP) model, meaning that it is executed over the internet. Our provider is a company based in Markham, Ontario, called My Nightingale. An ASP setup means that we do not have any software, or patient records, on our in house computers. Rather, all software and patient records are accessed over the internet. All of our practitioners can access our patient records, and as such, we all share the same patient information, helping us function as a more cohesive medical team, and facilitating our patients' care.

Is my SEMI Electronic Medical Record secure?

Much more secure than it ever was when we used paper charts. Paper charts can be lost, damaged, and would be ruined in a fire. Our electronic records are stored offsite, using companies who specialize in the secure storage of data. So, even if anyone could hack into our onsite computers, they wouldn't find any patient data, and no confidentiality would be breached. Contrast this to paper charts, which are a tremendous security risk for many reasons.

How many people can access my SEMI Electronic Medical Record?

Only authorized SEMI employees, and you.

Each employee is assigned a username, PIN and security FOB issued by RSA Security Inc. RSA Security Inc. is an expert in protecting online identities and digital assets. The inventor of core security technologies for the Internet, the company leads the way in strong authentication and encryption for internet transactions. RSA SecurID® authentication is based on a two-factor authentication process. Much like an ATM bank card, users must identify themselves with two unique factors: something you know (a password or PIN) and something you have (an RSA Fob) - providing a higher level of user authentication than reusable passwords. So, access to the Nightingale system, and your patient records, is protected on multiple levels. And, best of all, your records are encrypted, backed up and stored offsite. Nightingale's application is already one of the most secure systems available, but the fact that it uses RSA technology makes for an even more secure system.

In addition, you also have access to your EMR using SEMI’s online Patient Access Portal, administered by MyNightingale. Once set up, you will have the ability to not only view relevant parts of your EMR, but also to book appointments online, using your own computer to do so.

Any questions? Contact the MyNightingale helpdesk at 1-888-207-4422, or email support@mynightingale.com.

How do you record my data?

Each SEMI practitioner uses a laptop, netbook or PC Tablet to enter in patient data either during or after a consultation.

For most of my adult life I have dealt with the discomfort of Chondromalacia Patella and Patello-femoral Syndrome. These two conditions effectively ended my competitive cycling and skiing careers. It ultimately became so painful that I thought surgery was the only solution. But thanks to the team of excellent doctors and therapists at Toronto SEMI, I have finally overcome these difficult knee problems without surgery. I am now performing in both cycling and skiing better then I have in years.

Lawrence Saunders..