Telus Health Solutions has launched a new Internet health portal that allows users to search for information about medical conditions and other health-related issues.
The site, which is geared toward a Canadian market, is searchable by topic and provides fact-sheets for several different categories of health concerns.
“We really wanted to go at it with a portal that was simple to use, with credible content and with actual Canadian contacts,” said Sebastién Prévost, vice-president of consumer health for Telus Health Solutions.
Users can also take quizzes and use a symptom checker to help narrow down possible causes of a concern or get better informed about a specific topic.
In addition, the service analyzes user trends and relevant medical news to tailor content tailored to users’ needs.
A poll conducted by Vancouver’s Vision Critical, a market research company, showed 53% of Canadians use the Internet to get most of their medical information.
However, the survey showed 72% of respondents were unsure as to whether or not online health information is accurate.
Telus Health Solutions said the information on myhealthreference.com is reliable and has been verified.
“Content is being reviewed all the time and updated,” Prévost said.
Telus Health Solutions provides claims and benefits management, drug claims processing and electronic health records, and supports medical research.
The service is available online at myhealthreference.com.
Emma Crawford