Test results for hundreds of N.S. patients caught in software glitch
A glitch in the electronic records system delayed medical test results for nearly 600 patients since January, Nova Scotia health officials said Monday.
Health Minister Chris d'Entremont said doctors have assured him they are confident they have all critical test results and that no patients should suffer as a result of the computer problem.
However, he said it will be several days before his department knows if there have been delays in the treatment ofanyonewith a serious illness.
If a patient missed a critical followup test, d'Entremont said the province will work with them to get them quick access to whatever test is needed.
"What we want to do is make sure that those who might have been affected, that we find ways to get them through the system a little quicker," he told reporters.
The problem with the electronic records system started in January but was not noticed until a doctor called the Department of Health11 days agoto report missing labresults.
The subsequent investigation found that if a patient had duplicate records, the system could not determine where to send them, sothe results were never sent.
In all,876 lab test and diagnostic imaging reports were not delivered,affecting 578 patients at 31 clinics.
Dr. Ann Wadden, a family doctor in Dartmouth, said 12 of her patients were caught up in the software glitch. Still, she's not too concerned because she says doctors don't depend on any one reporting system.
"If I'm sending somebody for an X-ray, and I think it's going to be bad news and I don't get it, then in those patients you look for it if it doesn't come back," Wadden said.
The electronic system was backed up by paper faxes until May, which department officials say may be part of the reason why the problem went unreported for nine months.
The 87physicians and three nurse practitioners affected by the glitch have been contacted and all of the test results have been resent.
Department officials say the software provider, Nightingale Informatix, fixed theproblemover the weekend.