NS Launches Mobile Health App
A new step aimed at improving healthcare in Nova Scotia puts some control in your hand.
The Province has launched a mobile app for healthcare services, resources, and information you can carry in your pocket.
YourHealthNS may help Nova Scotians better navigate the healthcare system. It is a one-stop shop to book services, navigate care, and find information easier and faster.
Premier Tim Houston says, “If Nova Scotians can't find the healthcare information they need, they can't make decisions about how to access care.” The Premier added, “YourHealthNS will help Nova Scotians find the right care when they need it, no matter where they are in the province.”
Key features include:
- a home screen that can be personalised with information most important to the individual
- the ability to book blood tests, X-rays, flu shots, and COVID-19 vaccine appointments
- a search tool to find the nearest health services
- predicted emergency department wait times
- access to vaccination records
- access to free, same-day, virtual care
- the option to chat with a care navigator to help find the best service or information needed and, if appropriate, direct people to a virtual care visit
The app will be refined and updated.
Care navigators are available Monday to Friday between 10 am and 7 pm and weekends between 9 am and 1 pm.
YourHealthNS is part of a larger digital health transformation at Nova Scotia Health. It includes virtual care, the Care Coordination Centre, an oncology transformation project, the One Person One Record clinical information system, and using health data to better manage health outcomes.
Accessing virtual care has also become easier. People on the Need a Family Practice Registry can receive comprehensive care from Nova Scotian healthcare providers who can order diagnostic tests and provide referrals to specialists. Those on the registry will also have access to general consults and prescription refills 24/7, 365 days a year through a partnership with Maple, one of Canada's leading virtual-care platforms.
Nova Scotians who are attached to a primary care provider will also have access to virtual care, which will include general consults and prescription refills. The Province will cover two visits per year.
The Minister of Health says, “YourHealthNS helps connect the dots to services and support across our healthcare system. Information and options for care are already available online, and they are growing, making it increasingly complex to navigate and know where to begin.”
Michelle Thompson added, “This app helps Nova Scotians access health services and support in a way they have never been able to do before.”
Residents who do not have a mobile device can access YourHealthNS online at: https://www.yourhealthns.ca/.
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