Innovative health IT solutions gain momentum

Recipients of Canada Health Infoway's ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge Momentum Awards announced

TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2012 /CNW/ - From clinicians in British Columbia who use digital tools to manage the medications of patients with kidney disease to physiotherapy patients in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia who schedule appointments electronically, a growing number of Canadians are benefitting from innovative health IT solutions thanks to the efforts of teams participating in the ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge.  Participating teams saw a 65% growth in users in just 10 months, from January to October 2012.

"From safer care to a better patient experience, digital innovations are having an impact," said Richard Alvarez, President and CEO of Canada Health Infoway.  "I congratulate the recipients of the Momentum Award for not only leading the way in making innovative solutions available to Canadians, but also working to increase their use."

The three teams in each category of the ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge who had the greatest increase in users between January and October 2012 received Momentum Awards:

e-Scheduling (allows patients to book appointments online or with a mobile device)

1^st place: Centre Médical Westmount Square (Montreal, QC)
2^nd place: Click4Time (Vancouver, BC)
3^rd place: Canopy Integrated Health (North Vancouver, BC)

Patient Access to Health Information (gives patients and their families access to their personal health information)

1^st place: Wise Elephant Family Health Team (Brampton, ON)
2^nd place: Cancer Care Ontario (Toronto, ON)
3^rd place: West Carleton Family Health Team (Carp, ON)

Medication Reconciliation (helps health care providers work with patients, families and other clinicians to ensure accurate and comprehensive medication information is communicated consistently across transitions of care)

1^st place: Toronto East General Hospital (Toronto, ON)
2^nd place: Central Community Care Access Centre (Newmarket, ON)
3^rd place: Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto, ON)

Clinical Synoptic Reporting (improves communication among clinicians using structured summaries of a patient's health and health care)

1^st place: Rouge Valley Health System (Toronto/Ajax, ON)
2^nd place: North York General Hospital (North York, ON)
3^rd place: Sunnybrook Health Science Centre (Toronto, ON)

"The Outcomes Challenge was the impetus for us to start a patient portal, and we're glad we did," said Dr. Sanjeev Goel of Wise Elephant Family Health Team. "Thanks to the portal, our patients can now access information like medications, vaccination history and lab results online. Not only are they happy, but it's making our life simpler at the clinic and our workflow is much improved."

"I have diabetes and high blood pressure, and also had heart surgery seven years ago so I work hard to stay healthy," said Gregor Ramsay, a patient who uses West Carleton Family Health Team's patient portal.  "The patient portal has made it much easier keep track of all my test results over time, which means I have the information I need to better manage my health."

About the ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge

The primary objective of the ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge is to accelerate the use and spread of innovative information and communication technology solutions, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the improvement of health care quality and the patient experience in Canada.

To qualify for the Challenge, teams are required to have a working solution in one of four categories: e-Scheduling, Patient Access to Health Information, Medication Reconciliation and Clinical Synoptic Reporting.  Additional information about the Challenge including how to join, Challenge team profiles and videos, and educational resources is available at www.imagineNationchallenge.ca.

The following Canadian health care organizations are working with Infoway to help shape the Challenge by providing expert advice, encouraging participation, promoting the Challenge and participating in the judging panel:

• Accreditation Canada
• Association of Canadian Academic Healthcare Organizations
• COACH: Canada's Health Informatics Association
• Canadian Dental Association
• Canadian Home Care Association
• Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
• Canadian Patient Safety Institute
• Health Action Lobby
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices
• Patients' Association of Canada
• Patients for Patient Safety Canada
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

About Canada Health Infoway

Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Infoway jointly invests with every province and territory to accelerate the development and adoption of information and communications technology projects in Canada. Fully respecting patient confidentiality, these secure systems will provide clinicians and patients with the information they need to better support safe care decisions and manage their own health. Accessing this vital information quickly will help foster a more modern and sustainable health care system for all Canadians.

SOURCE: Canada Health Infoway