Nova Scotia

Text messages, notifications now available for most N.S. Health appointments

Nova Scotians now have the convenience of receiving appointment reminders for most of their health appointments. The new system sends text messages for appointments if the health provider has a cellphone number on file. Alternatively, reminders are pushed as messages through the YourHealthNS app for those who have downloaded it.

The reminders are sent out in a timely manner, with text messages being sent 14 days ahead of the appointment, then a week before, and finally the day before. For those using the YourHealthNS app, reminders are sent a week before, the day before, and on the day of the appointment.

Scott McKenna, chief information officer at Nova Scotia Health, emphasized that the goal of these reminders is to reduce the number of missed appointments due to forgetfulness. While he could not provide exact numbers, McKenna estimated that missed appointments for diagnostic imaging and surgeries were a significant issue.

The new notification system covers a wide range of appointments, including clinic visits for lab work, diagnostic imaging, mental health and addictions counseling, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. However, appointments with independent health providers, vaccination clinics, and specialist appointments with existing reminder systems are not included. Additionally, appointments deemed too sensitive to share via text, such as diagnostic mammograms and certain children and adolescent care appointments, are also excluded.

Despite these exceptions, McKenna believes that the majority of health appointments in the province will trigger a notification. He emphasized the importance of reducing missed appointments to ensure that every Nova Scotian has access to necessary healthcare services.

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Overall, the new appointment reminder system aims to improve healthcare access and efficiency in Nova Scotia by reducing the number of missed appointments. With the majority of hospital appointments covered by the system, Nova Scotians can now better manage their healthcare schedules and ensure they receive timely care.

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