YourHealthNS app ‘game changer’ – retired Dartmouth military pilot

Retired Air Force pilot Mike Murphy has spent a lifetime navigating complex systems, from Cold War fighter jets to leading Canada’s famed Snowbirds aerobatic team. Now, at 78, he says one of the tools helping him steer through the challenges of aging and health care is a smartphone app.

Murphy, who lives in Dartmouth, is an enthusiastic user of the YourHealthNS app, launched in 2023 in partnership with Nova Scotia Health, IWK Health and the Government of Nova Scotia. The digital platform allows patients to access records, book appointments and track immunizations. Murphy believes the app is a “game changer” for people like him who want to stay informed about their own medical care.

Murphy’s interest in health technology began after his hip replacement surgery more than two years ago. He was invited to provide feedback on a pain management app developed by local clinicians. That experience convinced him that digital tools could improve patient care.

“I quite enjoyed that process,” he recalled. “So, when I saw the YourHealthNS app, I thought, ‘yeah, this is useful too.’”

The retired lieutenant-colonel, who commanded three squadrons during his 35-year military career, and later worked a decade in real estate, said he appreciates being able to see his lab results and specialist reports without waiting for a phone call.

“It’s awfully nice to be able to go in there and read, although it’s all medical jargon,” Murphy said. “At least I can go in there and try to understand what’s being said with respect to the echocardiogram or the X-ray. It’s not in layman’s terms, but it’s there and it’s useful.”

Murphy said the app gives him peace of mind, especially when travelling. “If I happen to be in Timbuktu and I have a heart attack, at least that app can be very useful for whatever hospital I’m rushed to,” he said. “They can basically go back through records on my app.”

He also praised the app’s ability to update immunization records quickly. After receiving his COVID-19 and influenza shots this fall, he checked to see how long it would take for the information to appear. “Within about three or four days it was there,” he said. “That’s good. Nobody should expect it to be instantaneous.”

Murphy said the app has become an important tool in managing his health. “I’m kind of a details guy. I like to know what’s going on with my body as best I can,” he said. “It allows me to monitor my results, book immunizations and get useful information on community pharmacy care. Overall, I think the app is doing a lot of good.”

Murphy said he is happy to keep providing feedback to Nova Scotia Health. “I’m a firm believer in what’s going on with this,” he said. “We could probably end up making this a little bit better just with dialogue amongst a number of us that are like‑minded and interested to help out.”