WorkSafeBC's new 24/7 provider portal accelerates referrals, enhances security of worker's confidential information, improves data accuracy and reduces environmental footprint

Developed by TELUS, the provider portal will reduce referral wait times for thousands of injured workers from two days to a matter of hours

Vancouver, B.C., November 17, 2011 – TELUS Health Solutions and WorkSafeBC today announced the launch of a new provider portal to help injured workers receive faster referrals to the healthcare resources they need to facilitate their recovery. A key element of WorkSafeBC's e-commerce strategy, the new portal, answers healthcare provider's needs for better communication, data and service.

WorkSafeBC makes up to 35,000 referrals every year that affect injured workers, provider partners, and case management teams. Open 24/7, the new provider portal supports electronic referrals, clinical reporting, online invoicing and access to claim and payment information. The automation of referrals also improves the distribution of work among providers while ensuring workers' travel is minimized.

“With the new portal open for business, we aim to reduce the process period from the time a rehab program is requested, to the provider's receipt of the referral from one or two days to a matter of hours. This means injured workers in need of treatment will receive the services they require sooner,” said Andrew Montgomerie, director, Health Care Services, WorkSafeBC. “In fact, we saw improvement right from the start with some worker appointments being scheduled within hours of the referral's completion.”

Working together, TELUS and WorkSafeBC created a world-class platform for modernizing business processes, work flows and communications with customers. This included:

• Enabling real-time electronic communications and interactive decision making.
• Automating business processes and integrating them with customer processes.
• Reducing the cost of doing business and freeing up time and people to focus on the more challenging and complex cases.

“At TELUS we understand that healthcare is personal and it impacts all of us, which is why we are committed to helping WorkSafeBC improve the timeliness and quality of care delivered to their customers,” said Paul Lepage, senior vice-president, TELUS Health Solutions.

With 85 clinics already using the portal WorkSafeBC plans to expand to as many as 200 clinics this year including occupational rehabilitation and return-to-work providers. In 2012, the goal is to expand the portal to include even more services and clinics.

About WorkSafeBC
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a board of directors that serves about 2.2 million workers and more than 200,000 employers. WorkSafeBC was born from the historic compromise between B.C.'s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. WorkSafeBC is committed to safe and healthy workplaces and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits.

About TELUS Health Solutions
TELUS Health Solutions is a leader in telehealth, electronic health records, remote patient monitoring, mobile home and community care, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. Our solutions give health authorities, providers, primary care physicians, patients and consumers the power to enhance decision making and improve outcomes for Canadians. TELUS Health Solutions is eliminating the barriers to accessing information across the care continuum to help shift the focus from remediation to prevention and wellness. TELUS Health Solutions is Canada's leading Healthcare IT Company as cited by the Branham Group for three years and for being honoured as the ITAC Health Company of the Year (2008) and Health Transformation Company of the Year (2009). For more information about TELUS Health Solutions, please visit www.telushealth.com, www.telushealthspace.com and www.teluspersonalhealthrecord.com.

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