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Monday, September 18, 2006
CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – A Prince Edward Island company is improving healthcare delivery across Canada with MedigentTM, an innovative e-Health product that provides technology for the exchange and management of electronic medical and health records. The developer of Medigent, DeltaWare Systems of Charlottetown, is at the forefront of e-Health technology in Canada, thanks to the support of the PEI Government.
DeltaWare’s relationship with the Province began in 1999 through a strategic partnership to develop a comprehensive Medicare solution, which would allow physicians across the province to submit electronic Medicare claims. It was agreed that DeltaWare would build the product and, in return, the PEI Department of Health and Social Services would provide a test environment and showcase for the system. The result was the development of a medical claims processing system, the first of its kind in Canada, that allows for claims to be processed, adjudicated and paid under the Canada Health Act at the provincial level electronically, versus the paper-based systems that existed at that time. The system was implemented across the Province and has since been expanded to include dental, pharmacy, and medical travel claims.
“Working with the Province of PEI, we were able to expand our e-Health initiatives,” said Ed Lawlor, President of DeltaWare Systems. “This health partnership provided us with the ability to attract potential clients by allowing us to demonstrate product capabilities in a real environment. The Province worked with us to provide feedback to other Provinces and Territories on the capabilities of our products, while simultaneously allowing us to improve the product by acting as a test-bed for rolling out new functionality. This partnership has played a major role in DeltaWare’s growth over the past few years, and allows us to offer sustainable employment opportunities that are based here in PEI.”
After the implementation of the Medical Claims Processing System, DeltaWare continued to work to implement additional e-Health components. DeltaWare created a full suite of e-Health products, which were deployed provincially. These individual products all became part of the Medigent Suite. Some of the components that were first developed and implemented for the PEI Department of Health and Social Services have now been deployed in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nunatsiavut, and will soon be implemented in Newfoundland.
The PEI government’s support of DeltaWare’s e-Health initiatives has also strengthened health services on PEI. The Medigent Drug Information System for example, is the first system of its kind in Canada, due to the adoption of new national messaging standards. PEI will be the first province to implement the new system, which will help to ensure patient safety by allowing for all data concerning a patient’s medication history to be accessed provincially by caregivers who prescribe and dispense medications. DeltaWare continues to support the partnership through new technology and by ensuring that all product enhancements are implemented in the Province.
“The strategic partnership between DeltaWare and the PEI Government is a perfect example of government services providing growth and opportunity for local companies,” said Pat Binns, Premier of Prince Edward Island. “PEI embraced a vision for e-Health in this province and the result is a story of success and prosperity for the Province and DeltaWare.”
DeltaWare has grown to become one of the largest locally owned IT companies in Atlantic Canada. The company currently employs over 85 highly skilled IT professionals and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. DeltaWare is a regular supporter of student work terms, hosting students from universities and colleges throughout the Atlantic Region. Currently, 25% of DeltaWare’s present workforce was hired as a result of completing a successful work term with the company. This year, DeltaWare will host the second annual Medigent AGM conference. The conference attracts delegates from Medigent jurisdictions across Canada, proof of DeltaWare’s e-Health success. Healthcare professionals will attend user-led discussion groups, evaluate current practices and learn about the newest additions to the Medigent Suite.
