First Digital Health Week Launches in Canada

Working together to improve care for Canadians through Digital Health

TORONTO, Nov. 10, 2014 /CNW/ - Leading Canadian healthcare organizations are pleased to announce the launch of the first-ever Digital Health Week in Canada, taking place from November 10 to 14, 2014.

This unique collaboration of 18 organizations recognizes how digital health is transforming care and inspires further progress in improving delivery of care across the country. Digital Health Week will be celebrated in a series of announcements, a TweetChat, a webinar and other activities. A calendar of activities may be found at betterhealthtogether.ca/digital-health-week/ .

Key Facts about Digital Health in Canada:

• Nine in 10 Canadians want to be able to e-book health care appointments. E-booking offers a range of benefits for both patients and clinicians including reduced no-show rates, increased productivity and enhanced patient and staff satisfaction.
• Almost two-thirds of primary care physicians in Canada report using an electronic medical record offering better quality of care and health outcomes through preventive care and chronic disease management.
• Ninety-nine per cent of x-ray, CT and similar scans in Canadian hospitals are now digital. Digital diagnostic imaging allows authorized health care providers to collect, store, manage and access images regardless of where they, or their patients, are located.
• Laboratory test results for 81 per cent of Canadians are available in electronic form, for access by authorized clinicians. Electronic medical record-integrated settings were able to sort, archive and retrieve a single lab report 87 per cent faster than paper-based practices.
• Telehealth videoconferencing is available in 98 per cent of hospitals making Canada a global leader in this area. Telehealth saved more than 47 million kilometres in travel and $70 million in personal travel costs for patients and their families in 2010 alone.

Supporting Partners of Digital Health Week:

Canada Health Infoway	Canadian Pharmacists Association	MedicAlert Foundation Canada
Canadian College of Health Leaders	COACH: Canada's Health	Ontario Lung Association
Canadian Home Care Association	Informatics Association	Ontario Telemedicine Network
Canadian Medical Association	Health Care Social Media Canada (#hcsmca)	Patients Canada
Canadian Mental Health Association	Heart and Stroke Foundation	Patients for Patient Safety
Canadian Nurses Association	ITAC Health
Canadian Patient Safety Institute	JDRF

Quotes:

"We are excited to highlight the great progress we've made in providing digital health solutions to Canadians. This profound transformation is now being recognized for the value it provides to patients, and Digital Health Week is a great way to celebrate that success."

Michael Green
President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway

"With the evolution of technology in healthcare, health leaders have the ability to collaborate and improve the health system, and greatly enhance the quality of patient care. The College looks forward to assisting health leaders in creating high impact results."

Ray J. Racette, MHA, CHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian College of Health Leaders

"Mobile, user-friendly technology is fundamentally changing our approach to health and well-being; supporting a more efficient and person-centred approach regardless of the care setting. On behalf of home care stakeholders across Canada, we are pleased to support Digital Health Week and profile the innovations that are changing peoples' lives."

Nadine Henningsen
Executive Director, Canadian Home Care Association

"Digital health is an essential component of health care transformation. These technologies will play an increasingly important role in caring for Canada's aging population."

Dr. Chris Simpson
President, Canadian Medical Association

"The Canadian Nurses Association believes that digital health is a key enabler to improving the health and safety of Canadians, as well as their experiences and interactions with our healthcare system. Innovative use of technology has the power to bring healthcare into the hands of its users and to greatly improve communication and information-sharing between providers all along the continuum of care."

Karima Velji
President, Canadian Nurses Association

"In our strategic plan we say, "When Our Partners Succeed, We Succeed." Canada Health Infoway is an example of success. Together you push personal and organizational boundaries to generate change, and together you dare to transform healthcare system failures into learning opportunities. The solutions to our patient safety challenges exist within the healthcare system. They exist within healthcare providers and formal and informal leaders including patients, residents and clients. People like you who understand that preventing harm is worth the effort, while acknowledging that patient safety is a habit, rather than an act."

Hugh MacLeod
CEO, Canadian Patient Safety Institute

"Digital Health Week is a great way to showcase how solutions such as drug information systems and electronic access to lab results help pharmacists enhance medication safety and quality of care. Moving beyond hand-written and faxed prescriptions to electronic prescribing will provide further benefits."

Janet Cooper
Vice President, Professional and Membership Affairs, Canadian Pharmacists Association

"COACH is pleased to be a part of this first Digital Health Week and to collaborate and partner as health informatics (HI) professionals in helping achieve better information for better health for Canadians. Recognizing the work and participation of everyone – firstly patients, and clinicians, allied health workers, HI professionals, vendors, consultants, health agencies and government in bringing about the digital solutions that help improve care and save lives – is at the heart of digital health week. COACH is committed to our part in advancing the practice, safety, professionalism and use of digital health all across Canada, this week and always."   

Don Newsham
CEO, COACH: Canada's Health Informatics Association

"The most exciting innovation of the digital health era is our ability to connect with one another. People, regardless of position, can connect within and outside of their peer group. The Health Care Social Media Canada (#hcsmca) community uses digital health to connect, understand and learn how to become agents of change."

Colleen Young
Founder, #hcsmca; Manager, Engagement & Social Innovation, ELLICSR,
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

"We are delighted to be part of Digital Health Week in Canada. Preventing disease is a key mission priority for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and one of the ways we can achieve results is through digital health tools like the Heart&Stroke Healthy Weight Action Plan and My Heart&Stroke Blood Pressure Action Plan. Digital health is key to engaging Canadians with their own health. It provides a great platform to raise awareness of lifestyle risk factors and conditions while enabling the delivery of personalized tools and resources to help boost one's motivation and confidence and in turn help individuals take charge of their own health."

Ahmad Zbib
Director of Digital Health and Innovation, Heart and Stroke Foundation

"Digital Health is revolutionizing healthcare the same way online banking and Interac changed how we manage our personal finances. Health information will be available anytime and anywhere it is needed, while ensuring that the privacy and security of the information is protected. ITAC and its member companies are committed to bringing world class digital health solutions to Canadians."

Brendan Seaton, CISSP, CIPP/C, CRISC
President, ITAC Health

"Digital health is a great benefit for families and individuals managing type 1 diabetes on a daily basis, as it allows for closer monitoring of the disease and streamlined communication with healthcare professionals."

Dave Prowten
President and CEO, JDRF Canada

"At MedicAlert, we place high value in innovation, technology, and collaboration that leads to providing the best possible outcome for Canadians in an emergency. Each day we see the life-saving impact that e-health records provide. We're proud to be a contributor to the progression of digital health in Canada, and Digital Health Week."

Robert Ridge
President & CEO, MedicAlert Foundation Canada

"The Ontario Lung Association is constantly finding new applications for digital health solutions in promoting better lung health throughout the province. Our important digital health initiatives include training healthcare providers through the Ontario Telemedicine Network, and improving asthma management with a new mobile app that will help patients track their symptoms, triggers and medication."

George Habib
President and CEO, Ontario Lung Association

"Without telemedicine, there is no possible way to ensure a sustainable healthcare system – one in which patients receive timely access to the most appropriate healthcare in the most appropriate place."

Dr. Ed Brown
CEO, Ontario Telemedicine Network

"More and easier patient access through information technology will improve and in some cases transform patients' and families' experiences with healthcare."

Sholom Glouberman
President, Patients Canada

"It is amazing what digital health can all do for us. It varies from different areas of Canada at this time, but it is very exciting to hear what it can do when used to its full potential. My digital health story is simple. Because I work out of town I like to phone the pharmacist early in the morning before they open. I enter my prescription number in their automated system and can request a prescription refill. When I get back into town which is just before they close I can stop to pick up the prescription. The last time I was at the pharmacist I mentioned that I really liked their service and asked what else they had for digital health services. He mentioned a free iPhone application where you can see all your prescriptions, how many refills you have left and request a prescription refill. I look forward to seeing what else digital health will be able to do for me." 

Brian Penner
Altona, Manitoba, Patients for Patient Safety Canada

To learn how digital health is working for you, or for more information on Digital Health Week, please visit betterhealthtogether.ca.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Dan Strasbourg
Director, Media Relations
Canada Health Infoway
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

Erin Collett
Edelman
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

BACKGROUNDER
Digital Health Week
November 10 to 14, 2014

Digital health impacts everyday people, across the country, every day. From easier access to medical records, to a better patient experience, to enhanced patient safety, to the value to Canada's economy, digital health connects communities and clinicians across the country. Here are just some of the effects organizations supporting the campaign have seen.

Canada Health Infoway
Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) helps to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across the country. Infoway's Better Health Together public education campaign aims to raise the level of awareness among Canadians about the benefits of digital health and features Canadians sharing their experiences with digital health so more people can learn how digital health can work for all of us. To learn more, visit www.betterhealthtogether.ca. 

Canadian College of Health Leaders 
The Canadian College of Health Leaders is a national, member-driven, non-profit association dedicated to ensuring that the country's health system benefits from capable, competent and effective leadership. Through networks of influence and transformative thought the College is committed to supporting health leaders in using technology to collaborate and improve the health system, and greatly enhance the quality of patient care. http://www.cchl-ccls.ca

Canadian Home Care Association
The Canadian Home Care Association advances excellence in home care and continuing care through leadership, awareness, advocacy and knowledge.    Over the past decade, the home care sector has experienced an emergence of new technologies that are providing seemingly endless possibilities to support people in their homes. Digital health applications are enabling people to be more independent in their homes, remain in their homes longer, and be more engaged in the self-management of their conditions. These technologies empower action and support family caregivers in their multiple roles.  To learn more, visit www.cdnhomecare.ca

Canadian Mental Health Association
With more than 10,000 staff and volunteers in over 120 communities across Canada, CMHA provides vital services and support to well over half a million Canadians every year. As the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health, CMHA facilitates access to the resources people require to maintain and improve mental health and community integration, build resilience and support recovery from mental illness. For mental health and mental illness information, resources and tools and to find a CMHA community location, please go to www.cmha.ca. 

Canadian Nurses Association
As a nurse and a patient, Karla feels the impact of digital health every day and sees digital health as a tool for healthcare professionals to collaborate and provide the best care possible for Canadians.  See Karla's story at www.betterhealthtogether.ca/karlas-story/ or visit www.cna-aiic.ca.

Canadian Patient Safety Institute
Established by Health Canada in 2003, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute works with governments, health organizations, leaders, and healthcare providers to inspire extraordinary improvement in patient safety and quality.  To learn more visit www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca. 

Canadian Pharmacists Association
According to The National Survey of Canadian Community Pharmacists: Use of Digital Health Technologies in Practice, community pharmacists are frequently using digital health solutions and they want increased access to  digital health technology to continue to enhance patient safety and quality of care.  In fact, 49 per cent of community pharmacists say they use it for every patient/prescription and 37 per cent accessing it several times a day.  92 per cent said digitally based drug information systems provide improvements in patient safety activities such as conducting medication reviews, performing medication reconciliation and identifying potential drug-related problems such as duplications, drug interactions or allergies.  To learn more visit www.pharmacists.ca/cpha-ca/assets/File/cpha-on-the-issues/InfowayDigitalSurveyENG.pdf

COACH: Canada's Health Informatics Association
Digital health, advancing the use of digital solutions and leading professional practices like patient eSafety all go hand and hand and that's why COACH: Canada's Health Informatics Association launched its landmark eSafety Guidelines. Those Guidelines, one of COACH's best-practice resources, help health informatics professionals effectively apply their expertise and knowledge to enhance the patient safety of eHealth solutions.  Provincial jurisdictions, health care organizations, agencies, and providers are building a culture of eHealth safety and applying the methodologies and leading practices in the Guidelines for protecting against inadvertent harm to patient safety throughout the lifecycle of their software and digital health solutions. To learn more, visit www.coachorg.com/en/practices/eSafety.asp.

Health Care Social Media Canada (#hcsmca)
Health Care Social Media Canada (#hcsmca) is an inclusive network of people interested in exploring social innovation in health care and driving digital collaboration for better health and health care in Canada. The #hcsmca community discusses, researches and problem solves current health care ideas, challenges and opportunities. It provides an open forum to share perspectives, best practices and new ideas. We believe the value of an idea is greater than a title. People, regardless of position, can connect within and outside of their peer group. Together we are making health care more open and connected.

Heart and Stroke Foundation
Vicki Olatundun was full of energy after giving birth to her second child but on a post-baby visit, a public health nurse asked her to remain calm and called an ambulance. Vicki's blood pressure reading put her in immediate danger of stroke. She spent five days in the hospital and went home determined to tackle her health — starting with her weight. Six million Canadian adults have high blood pressure (hypertension) – more than one in five adults. She first tried many diets but nothing worked. She then found the Heart and Stroke Foundation's <30 Days Challenge mobile app, one of several Heart and Stroke Foundation eTools that help Canadians reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.  To learn more about Heart and Stroke Tools for a Healthier You, visit heartandstroke.ca/30days.

JDRF Canada
There are over 300,000 adults and children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Canada. T1D strikes suddenly and lasts a lifetime. It is a constant numbers game that takes time and careful consideration to properly manage. Access to digital health tools can help manage T1D by providing rapid treatments when time is of the essence. To learn more visit www.jdrf.ca.

MedicAlert Foundation Canada
1 out of 3 Canadians have medical conditions that first responders need to know about. Paramedics like Sean and Anna come across patients every day that have diverse medical conditions and needs. MedicAlert IDs serve as a lifeline to vital medical details via the 24/7 medical emergency hotline. Whether it's reuniting an elderly woman with her loving family, or quickly identifying why seizures are happening, MedicAlert's digital health records help provide the best possible outcome for Canadians in times of emergency. To learn more visit www.medicalert.ca.   

Ontario Lung Association
To help asthma patients better manage their condition, the Ontario Lung Association has developed breathe – a mobile app that helps people with asthma track their symptoms, triggers and medication usage, and provides them with an Action Plan generated by their doctor to help them stay in control of their asthma symptoms.  To learn more, click here or visit www.on.lung.ca.

Ontario Telemedicine Network
About half of all Canadians are living with at least one chronic health condition. Telehomecare, a program of the Ontario Telemedicine Network, empowers these patients to become partners in their own care - right in their home.   Through remote monitoring of vital signs and self-management coaching by registered nurses or respiratory therapists, patients are motivated to make the lifestyle choices that allow them to live their best possible life.  As a result, hospitalizations and ER visits are dramatically reduced, lowering costs associated with chronic disease management.  To learn more, visit RxTelehomecare.ca.

Patients Canada
Patients would like access to their medical records and test results electronically. As partners in their own care, they need the same information as their care team. Many EMRs have the capacity for a patient portal and physicians can choose to enable this feature. And patients would also like to communicate with our care providers by email, the way we do with everyone else.  To learn more, visit www.patientscanada.ca.

ITAC Health
Investments in digital health that have leveraged capital investment, created thousands of high-quality and sustainable jobs, and developed innovative digital health solutions that have found a market in Canada and abroad. According to the Conference Board of Canada, Infoway's 2010 investments leveraged 10,700 person-years of employment and every $1 invested added $1.48 to GDP. Canadian information and technology companies have benefitted from a doubling of the size of the electronic medical record market and Canadian entrepreneurs have leveraged Infoway investment in local projects into international sales. For more information, visit itac.ca/activities/itac-health.

Patients for Patient Safety
Patients for Patient Safety Canada (a patient-led program of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute) is the voice of the patient. We ensure that healthcare organizations and systems include the perspective of patients and their families when making decisions and planning safety and quality improvement initiatives. To learn more visit www.patientsforpatientsafety.ca.

SOURCE: Canada Health Infoway

or to arrange an interview, please contact: Dan Strasbourg, Director, Media Relations, Canada Health Infoway, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Erin Collett, Edelman, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infoway-inforoute.ca