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InterviewDynacare™ Joins SecureKey’s Verified.Me™ Service: An Interview

SecureKey Technologies announced that Dynacare, one of Canada’s largest and most respected providers of health and wellness solutions, has joined the Verified.Me network.

Patients of Dynacare Plus in Ontario can now safely, securely and reliably verify their identity via the Verified.Me service without having to visit a Dynacare clinic in-person, replacing the former identity verification process that required the use of a PIN code received during a visit to a Dynacare location.

To learn more about this announcement topic, we conducted an interview with Greg Wolfond, Founder and CEO of SecureKey and Arun Thomas, Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Dynacare.

1. Can you tell us more about Dynacare?

[Arun Thomas, Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Dynacare] We are a health and wellness solutions company that provides laboratory testing and other services to help Canadians manage their health. We’re best known for the lab services we provide for 30,000 healthcare providers, 250+ hospitals, and 11 million+ Canadians each year. Dynacare offers 1,500 tests as part of an extensive menu that features the newest technologies in specialized diagnostic testing. Another important part of our offering is our patient portal, Dynacare Plus, which helps patients take greater control over their own health, available online and through our mobile app. We also offer health and wellness solutions to employers and insurers across Canada.

2. Can you tell us more about SecureKey?

[Greg Wolfond, CEO, SecureKey] SecureKey is a Canadian provider of digital identity and access management solutions. As a leader in the sector, we develop services that provide additional security to consumers while simplifying the processes they use to access online services and applications. We recognize that there is a myriad of opportunities to provide a better experience for customers, businesses and governments alike, while at the same time providing greater assurance to each stakeholder regarding the privacy of personal user data.

Digital identity is broken, and our mandate is to develop solutions that are built with increased privacy, security and consent from the beginning. We currently offer two services, one of which provides secure sign-in services to provincial governments and over 80 federal government agencies in Canada, while the other – Verified.Me – is a first-of-its-kind digital identity validation network built on blockchain. We recently partnered with Dynacare to help them provide their patients with a fast, secure and convenient way to digitally verify their identities. In doing so, patients can access their personal health information on the Dynacare Plus platform, regardless of where they are, providing them with greater privacy protection and virtually no wait times.

3. What is Verified.Me?

[GW] Verified.Me is a service offered by SecureKey Technologies Inc. that helps users verify their identity digitally, with privacy, security and explicit consent. The Verified.Me service was developed in cooperation with seven of Canada’s major financial institutions – BMO, CIBC, Desjardins, National Bank of Canada, RBC, Scotiabank and TD. It helps consumers verify their identities so they can get things done fast online, in person and over the phone. It is a privacy-enhanced service that is built on consent; consumers always stay in control by choosing when to share their information and with whom, reducing unnecessary oversharing of personal information in order to access the services they want.

Verified.Me connects trusted sources that consumers already have and use that can help verify their identities, like a financial institution, with organizations where accessing services requires a high level of identity assurance before displaying personal information, like Dynacare Plus. It operates without sharing specifics on where, why or with whom you are using your personal information.

4. Why did Dynacare choose to adopt Verified.Me?

[AT] Joining Verified.Me will allow our patients easier and more convenient access to Dynacare Plus by verifying their identities digitally. This improves our ability to empower Canadians to take ownership of their health and wellness and lead a healthier lifestyle and ensure that their important personal health information is kept secure and protected.

5. What benefits would Verified.Me provide patients with?

[GW] With Verified.Me, it’s easier for patients to verify their identities and get safe and convenient access to their personal health information without having to visit a clinic in-person or wait for their doctors to call with received results. Patients also benefit from knowing that they are using a service that is founded on bank-grade security, without user tracking, that asks for their explicit consent to share at each step.

6. How can Verified.Me be used with Dynacare Plus?

[AT] Patients used to have to register for Dynacare Plus by using a PIN code received during their visit to a Dynacare location. With Verified.Me, patients can now sign up without having to visit a Dynacare location in-person. Patients who use Verified.Me, which will initially be available to Dynacare patients in Ontario, will safely, securely and reliably confirm their identity online through the Verified.Me service, expanding accessibility to their health information.

7. How could Dynacare’s involvement in Verified.Me help patients in taking ownership and managing their health better?

[AT] By joining the Verified.Me network, we are able to provide more convenient and secure access to health information for patients across Ontario and to equip Canadians with the necessary tools to take charge of their health. This removes many of the complexities that used to be involved with obtaining health information, such as waiting for a long period of time in a physician’s office. In the past, many patients would submit bloodwork, for example, and then wait until their doctor received the results and placed a call to explain. Now, patients can remotely and securely access this information without the requirement to visit a lab in-person or wait for a phone call.

[GW] Canadians often aren’t able to take ownership and managing their health better because of the complex processes associated with obtaining health information. This is largely because our health information is so sensitive that it’s been a challenge, until now, to build solutions that provide the high level of identity assurance necessary to allow access. Verified.Me helps with providing this augmented level of secure identity proofing so patients can access their health information remotely.

8. How can patients start using Dynacare Plus?

[AT] Patients can register for Dynacare Plus online, at DynacarePlus.com. Once registered, they can select their financial institution among Verified.Me’s existing six network participants and complete the identity verification process. After verifying their identity, patients can access their Dynacare lab test information and other health and wellness tools on Dynacare Plus, either through DynacarePlus.com or the Dynacare Plus mobile app.

9. How can users start using Verified.Me?

[GW] It’s very easy! With Dynacare Plus, users can take advantage of Verified.Me’s browser-based version. For the full experience, users can also download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play. For videos, FAQs and backgrounders on Verified.Me’s potential in healthcare and other verticals, we encourage interested parties to visit verified.me, or shoot us a message on social to connect with someone on our team.

10. What recommendations would you like to provide Canadians with regarding adopting a healthy lifestyle?

[AT] Embracing digital health tools such as Dynacare Plus can help Canadians take control of their health and lead to a healthier lifestyle. These tools offer faster, more efficient care and better access to Personal Health Information – such as test results, blood sugar, diet, sleep, weight, activity levels and more. This information will give users a complete picture of their overall health over time in a way that’s accessible for them and easy to manage.

[GW] Signing up with Dynacare Plus through Verified.Me is a great start. Being able to access the wide variety of tools they offer through a secure and fast method allows Canadians to live a healthier lifestyle. Patients engaging with Dynacare’s offerings through an easy and convenient method lets them focus on their health and wellbeing instead of focusing on the processes to access that information.

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