(Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuesday, August 31st, 2021): InterHealth Canada – Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital is preparing to implement a secure online portal that provides enrolled patients with convenient 24-hour access to certain personal health information within their medical records from anywhere on the internet. MyCareCorner is an interactive user platform that is desktop-based and downable as a mobile application on the Apple Store and Google Play to access health information on the go. The hospital will manage the data, and enrolled patients can access specific health information such as recent doctor visits, discharge summaries, medications, immunizations, allergies, and lab results. The hospital is currently reviewing the type of information that will be made available to enrolled patients. In July, an online community survey entitled ‘MyCareMatters’ was launched to canvass feedback on several service areas, including the patient portal.

The platform is private and is accessed on a secure connection via an encrypted, passwordprotected logon to protect patients’ health information. The hospital is seeking to complete the implementation stage of the patient portal by the end of the year. Following this stage, information about the enrollment process will be provided. Patient portals can add significant value to the patient experience with faster access to essential medical information. This platform empowers patients to be more actively involved in their care and their family members’ health, based on patient consent and guardianship. MyCareCorner also connects with specific everyday home health and fitness devices like blood pressure cuffs, blood glucose devices, and weight scales. This feature eliminates the need to enter readings manually and ensures that subscribers’ medical records always have accurate, consistent on-time data.

Patient portals implemented in other health care facilities have reflected improvements in medication adherence, disease awareness, self-management of disease, a decrease in the number of medical office visits, an increase in preventative medicine, and increased patient satisfaction. Patients can utilize the portal to accomplish tasks that generally require a phone call or even multiple phone calls.

Commenting on the platform, Dr. Denise Braithwaite-Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at TCI Hospital, stated: “InterHealth Canada – The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, is continuously exploring innovative ways to enhance the experience of the patients and families. We believe that engaging patients in their health care can improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Digital information storage systems such as electronic medical records provide a space where patient information can be securely stored and accessed within a timely manner.”

She continued: “The increasing adoption of electronic medical records by hospitals has given patients wider access to their clinical information. Seamless access to medical records can positively affect communication between the patient and their health care team. It also empowers patients and enhances their involvement in their care. All of our patients are encouraged to enroll when the patient portal enrollment process is announced.”