| Initiative and web link | Type | Description | Available in EMRs? | Estimated Annual Savings as of Dec. 31, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Support and Income Assistance Medical Assessment Form | Revised form | Efficiencies have been made to help clients access additional supports by improving the form completed by physicians. Additionally, this form now auto-populates within the EMRs with direct submission functionality to reduce completion time. | Yes | 19,200 hours |
| Disability Support Medical Form | Eliminated form | Physicians no longer have to complete the Disability Support Medical Form. | n/a | 290 hours |
| Medical Report on Adopting Applicant and the Medical Report on Foster Applicant Forms | Eliminated form | Physicians no longer have to complete a medical report for those applying to be adopted or fostered. | n/a | 200 hours |
| Medical Status Report Form | Form, partially eliminated | The requirement was removed for individuals transitioning from hospital to long-term care. For those transitioning from community to long-term care, the form may be completed prior to admission and is no longer a requirement to be waitlisted. | Partially eliminated | 100 hours |
| Adult Protection Medical Observation Form | Form | It has been updated to remove sections that do not impact the overall quality of the assessment and it's now more user-friendly. | Yes | 5 hours |
| Short-Term Disability Form | Revised form | A standardized short-term disability (STD) form has been developed. This standardized form means 28 different forms have become one. | Yes | The new STD form is 68% faster to complete, on average, when compared to several of the former STD forms. |
| Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) 8/10 Form, now the Primary and Emergency Care Report | Revised form | The form has been revised and added to the EMR. | Yes |
For family physicians, preliminary evaluation estimates is 40% faster to complete in the EMR. For physicians completing it in the EMR versus on paper, the time savings climb to 67%. |
| Medical Report for Adoption Subsidy | Eliminated form | Physicians no longer have to complete the Medical Report for Adoption Subsidy. | n/a | Measurement underway |
| Medial Report for Voluntary Adoption Placement | Eliminated form | Physicians no longer have to complete the Medical Report for Voluntary Adoption placement. | n/a | Measurement underway |
| Simplify the Maternal Serum Screening Process (IWK Health) | Process & form | A second trimester maternal serum screening test during pregnancy has been eliminated in favour of a single comprehensive test during the first trimester. | n/a | 770 hours |
| Implement Mobile Primary Care Clinics (NSH) | Process | Clinics aim to improve access to primary care services while also reducing demands on emergency departments across the province. | n/a | 2,000 hours |
| Virtual Hallway | Process | A pilot implementation of this technology delivered over 3,000 consults across three subspecialties to family physicians and resulted in an 82% reduction in unnecessary referrals. | n/a | 1,300 hours |
| Streamline the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia's Complaints Investigation Process | Process | The complaints investigation process has been streamlined to reduce the burden for both provider and patient. Physicians will see a decrease in the time required for interviews regarding complaints. | n/a | 1,180 hours |
| Streamline the Peer Review Process at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia | Process | The peer review program has been streamlined to improve process efficiency. Peer reviews for family medicine have been paused in recognition of the present burden on primary care. | n/a | 630 hours |
| Streamline SHARE (Secure Access Health Record) User Access Request Process | Process | Improvements to streamline the onboarding process means physicians are now able to gain access to the system for lab, DI reports, etc., more quickly. | No | 330 hours |
| Reduce Barriers to Gender-Affirming Surgery | Process | Patients seeking gender-affirming care no longer require two physician specialist referral letters. | n/a | 300 hours |
| Introduction of the Atlantic Physician Registry | Process | The creation of the Atlantic Physician Registry reduces red tape associated with licensing requirements and processes for physicians looking to practice in Nova Scotia. | n/a | 190 hours |