Health app gains users with records expansion, Nova Scotians ages 50-80 biggest users

An app billed as a "one-stop shop" for accessing health records and booking appointments has been most popular among Nova Scotians ages 50 to 80, a figure that's been encouraging to the province's health minister.

The province said that demographic represents 75 per cent of YourHealthNS users since the app was rolled out last year with a promise to improve access to health information.

"It is a very interesting statistic which heartens us and tells us that it actually is quite accessible to the users who are of a variety of different ages," said Health Minister Michelle Thompson. 

Almost 400,000 Nova Scotians have downloaded the app, which launched in November 2023 at a cost of about $10 million. An additional $5 million was spent on an expansion to include patient health records on the app. 

Thompson said there have been 89,000 downloads since Nova Scotians over the age of 16 were allowed to access records of medication, hospital visits or stays, immunizations as well as lab and diagnostic records in July.

On Monday, the province said ultrasound reports would be added to the app.

N.S. hopes to see more users as app expands

Bill VanGorder, with the Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, said it is beneficial having information all in one place on his smartphone. He said the app allows him to be his own health advocate. 

"The only real difficulty is just the long process to set yourself up in the app … But once you've got it done, then that's easy," said VanGorder. "Maybe we should suggest that older Nova Scotians get a young person to help them set up the app in the first place." 

Thompson described the app as an "empowerment tool" to help Nova Scotians navigate and understand the health-care system. For example, she said accessing lab results through the app could mean a patient won't have to return to their primary care provider. 

She said the app is being promoted in health-care settings, with the help of QR codes and patient-care advocates, as well as other locations like libraries.  

"We do feel that the message is getting out there and maybe not always as quickly as we'd like, but the more functionality we add to the app, I believe that it will also increase the uptake," Thompson said in an interview. 

New Democrat MLA Susan Leblanc said if Nova Scotians are still unaware of the app and its features, it's probably because "what people care about is access to care in the communities that they live in."

"That's all useful information. But ultimately what people need in Nova Scotia is access to primary care," she said.

Data from surveys of 152 patients who partook in the pilot were provided to the NDP through an access-to-information request. The document, provided to CBC News, showed 98 per cent of users would continue to use the app, but less than a third felt they didn't need to visit their primary care clinic due to having access to their records.  

As of June 1, there were 160,234 Nova Scotians on the Need a Family Practice Registry. 

Not all features useful, says Opposition leader

Zach Churchill, the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, questioned the reliability of app features like emergency department wait times.

"I've spoken to doctors that work in our emergency departments that have indicated that it is hard to estimate what the wait time is going to be. And so sometimes the information that's given to Nova Scotians isn't necessarily accurate and might be providing a deterrent for them," said Churchill.

Still, the app helped Chris Cherry, who is without a family doctor, book a medical appointment.

Patients with referrals can use the app to book blood work, X-rays and electrocardiograms. People can also book vaccinations for COVID-19 and the flu, as well as testing for those viruses. Additionally, appointments can be booked for primary care clinics located within pharmacies.

"Every time we need to get any care or whatever it's a struggle. So it's another tool," said Cherry. "My final answer would be having a family doctor that I could call. But without that, I guess it's another option."