Patients at the Agassiz Medical Centre have new ways of connecting with the clinic, a secure messaging system in which patients can connect with a practitioner online and online booking.

The clinic strives to be up to date on the latest technological advancements for patient care, according to Dave Guenther Systems Administrator at AMC, and that includes convenience for patients.

"Secure online booking allows patients to look through their provider's schedule, find a time that works for them. The different types of appointments they can add are routine or even physical appointments that might take a little bit longer. It's important for us to give patients that type of convenience to work within their schedule and something that works with our providers as well."

The second initiative, secure patient messaging, is a game-changer for the clinic, says Guenther, and will improve timeliness, convenience, and reduce the amount of paper used in printing.

Through this new service, providers can send patients their lab results or ask for further information directly through this portal.

Patients can access these services by going through the web-based application found on the AMC website or download the Medeo Virtual Healthcare app. However, this isn't the first time the clinic has looked at streamlining the process.

"We've tried kiosks for self-sign in, and we've also gone with other online booking options for our walk-in clinic. What we've found with this new solution is integration with our existing medical software. These two options we're giving patients now go right into the patient's chart. We've been able to integrate in a way that wasn't really possible before."

Online booking is already available, and secure patient messaging will be become available likely mid-November. The clinic is asking residents for their e-mail addresses, so once the service is offered, they can message patients when they need to.

Guenther adds the service is designed for the practitioner to initiate a conversation with a patient and is not a service for all patients to send messages to their doctors.