YourHealthNS app not a fix for lack of primary care attachment

HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia NDP continues to call on the Houston government to improve access and attachment to primary care through dedicated clinics and is renewing its call for the Auditor General to review the YourHealthNS procurement deal with Think Research.

The number of Nova Scotians without a family doctor continues to rise and emergency room deaths rose by almost 20 per cent in 2023. Meanwhile, the Houston government has spent $15 million to date developing the YourHealthNS app with no clear return.

Earlier this month, the government announced an expansion of the app to allow patients to access their health records after a three-month pilot project.

According to FOIPOP results obtained by the NSNDP, only about one per cent of the pilot project users completed a survey about their experience. Of those, less than a third felt they didn’t need to visit their primary care clinic due to having access to their records. Just 35 per cent reported feeling better prepared for their appointments.

“This app isn’t the fix to the health care system we need. While it can be useful to have access to your patient records, it doesn’t make it easier to access health care when you need it. Nova Scotians are still forced to rely on a patchwork of options like virtual care, walk-in clinics and emergency rooms to access care,” said NSNDP Health Spokesperson Susan Leblanc. “The Houston government needs to focus less on giving untendered contracts to tech companies and more on ensuring Nova Scotians are attached to primary care. An app is not a replacement for a family doctor.”

Nova Scotia Health says the app has about 2,000 to 2,500 average unique users per day, and an average time of two minutes spent interacting with the app.

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