Nova Scotia prepares for provincewide expansion of electronic patient records

Nova Scotia is preparing for a significant expansion of its electronic patient-record system, with hospitals and healthcare facilities across three additional health zones scheduled to begin using the technology on November 14.

The One Person One Record (OPOR) initiative is designed to bring patient information together in a shared clinical system, allowing authorized healthcare professionals to access medical records, test results, medications and treatment information more efficiently.

The upcoming implementation will extend the system to Nova Scotia Health’s Northern, Eastern and Western zones, completing a major stage of the province’s digital healthcare transformation.

Connecting healthcare across the province

The system was introduced at IWK Health in December 2025 and expanded to Nova Scotia Health’s Central Zone in May 2026.

Once fully implemented, One Person One Record is expected to replace or integrate more than 50 existing systems used by healthcare professionals to document and access patient information.

The province estimates that more than 26,000 healthcare professionals will eventually have access to real-time patient information, according to their roles and responsibilities.

For patients, the system is intended to reduce the need to repeatedly provide medical histories when receiving care at different facilities. It is also expected to improve communication among healthcare teams and reduce unnecessary duplication of diagnostic testing.

Improving medication and patient safety

A central component of the initiative is Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE), which allows physicians and other authorized healthcare professionals to enter and manage clinical orders electronically.

The technology is designed to provide immediate visibility into medication orders, laboratory requests and other clinical instructions.

Built-in clinical decision support can also alert healthcare professionals to potential medication allergies, dosing concerns and other safety issues before treatment is administered.

The system supports electronic medication verification, including barcode scanning to help confirm that patients receive the correct medications and doses.

Nova Scotia Health says these features are intended to strengthen patient safety while improving coordination between healthcare professionals.

Preparing healthcare teams for implementation

The November expansion represents a substantial operational change for hospitals and healthcare workers.

Training and practice sessions have been organized to help physicians, nurses and other clinical staff become familiar with the system and its workflows.

During previous implementation stages, Nova Scotia Health advised patients that some appointments and administrative processes could take longer while healthcare teams adjusted to the technology.

The province’s broader initiative is supported by a 10-year, $365-million agreement signed in 2023 to develop, implement and maintain the clinical information system.

The upcoming expansion represents another step toward a more connected healthcare system, with the potential to improve continuity of care as patients move between hospitals, specialists and other healthcare services.

The full impact on patient outcomes, workflow efficiency and healthcare costs will depend on successful implementation and ongoing evaluation.

Sources: Nova Scotia Health and Government of Nova Scotia.

The post Nova Scotia prepares for provincewide expansion of electronic patient records appeared first on Hospital News.