Doctors offered cash bonuses to speed up switch to electronic medical records

Health Minister Benot Bourque says the government will put measures in place to accelerate the adoption of the provincial electronic health record system.

Starting April 1,physicians who start working in a clinic will have to adopt this system. Those who are fee-for-service and who are already using it will benefit from additional incentives.

Physicians who adopt the electronic system before the end of the year will receive a $2,500 bonus. Those who sign on during the first quarter of 2019 will get $2,000.

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TheDepartment of Health plans to spend $ 2.8 million over two years on the measures in a renewedpartnership with the New Brunswick Medical Society who will manage the system, including the establishment of an oversight committee.

The transition program to an electronic medical record system was implemented in 2012.

So far, about 300 out of 750 doctors have made the transition to the electronic medical record system. The province hopes to have 400 more do so in thenext four to fiveyears.