HDIRS project achieves imaging management milestone and helps Ontario hospitals access and utilize comprehensive patient information
TORONTO, ONTARIO-- Feb. 24, 2009-
Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of IT-enabled clinical workflow and diagnostic imaging solutions, today announced the Hospital Diagnostic Imaging Repository Services (HDIRS) digital imaging repository project (DI-r) is fully operational - and facilitating data and image sharing and clinical use between all Agfa HealthCare sites involved in the project. Currently in its second year of a three year implementation strategy, this is an important milestone for the HDIRS project, as accessing and utilizing patient information and images is the first step to helping Ontario hospitals improve collaboration, decrease wait times and improve the delivery of patient care.
Live since October 1, 2008, the HDIRS DI-r is now able to securely send, store and retrieve patient images and reports for more than 1.3 million exams annually, utilizing Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX® solution. The HDIRS project is part of the Canada Health Infoway initiative to implement reliable and secure health information systems, with the ultimate goal of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for every Canadian. As an integral part of this project, Agfa HealthCare has implemented the IMPAX Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) digital imaging technology and a DI-r to centrally and securely store patient images and reports while facilitating file sharing across the HDIRS network.
"Over the last few months HDIRS has made significant progress taking the data centre live and connecting to the digital imaging repository," said Pat Ryan, General Manager, HDIRS. "This unique collaboration will bring significant cost savings and operational efficiencies to participating HDIRS healthcare organizations, and will also help to reduce patient wait times."
Currently the HDIRS project is incorporating the use of patient health card numbers into the data sharing process. Health card numbers will be used to provide healthcare professionals with longitudinal access to patient records, allowing physicians to view a patient's full diagnostic imaging history - regardless of where the images were acquired and the patient reports filed.
"It has been exciting to watch this project evolve and see how it is transforming the delivery of patient care for local residents - but we have only scratched the surface of what this means for hospitals across Ontario," said Dave Wilson, Vice-President, Agfa HealthCare in Canada. "As we continue to connect provincial healthcare facilities in the HDIRS network, we will see firsthand how IMPAX and the DI-r can contribute to improved operational efficiencies and to the national eHealth initiative."
In September 2008, the HDIRS project received the Showcase Ontario 2008 Merit Award in the Working Together category at the Showcase Ontario conference. Selected from more than 90 submissions, the award recognized the successful partnership between 23 hospital corporations. When completed, hospital staff across 35 Ontario hospital sites will have real-time access to comprehensive patient information and the ability to access and utilize images and reports electronically.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Mobile wireless hand-held devices coming for hundreds of home healthcare providers
February 5, 2009 -- Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada (VON) has signed a two-year deal worth more than C$10 million with IBM (NYSE:IBM) to help the organization transform the way home and community health care is delivered in Canada.
IBM will provide new business processes and clinical technologies -- including mobile wireless hand-held devices for hundreds of home healthcare providers to schedule appointments and collect, share and access patient information in real-time. Other systems such as human resources, talent management, benefits administration, finance and accounting will also be automated and interconnected as part of the project.
This transformational initiative will enable the national, not-for-profit organization’s 52 locations across Canada to be more integrated and cost-efficient, thereby improving community services and patient care.
According to VON CEO Judith Shamina, VON’s vision is to streamline practices and create a technology platform that is compatible with provincial systems, so we are in better position to integrate into the larger healthcare system. This will facilitate the adoption of electronic health records, and enable, for the first time, the integration of home and community care activities into other parts of the health care system.
Home health care is the fastest growing sector in health care and as the Canadian population ages, demand will increase. Approximately 900,000 Canadians regularly access home care. Between 1995 and 2002, the number of Canadians receiving home care increased by more than 60 per cent.
The IBM contract covers financing, business transformation, consulting, application management of back-office functions, new hardware, portal software, and integration services to support the new wireless handheld devices.
IBM will provide new business processes and clinical technologies -- including mobile wireless hand-held devices for hundreds of home healthcare providers to schedule appointments and collect, share and access patient information in real-time. Other systems such as human resources, talent management, benefits administration, finance and accounting will also be automated and interconnected as part of the project.
This transformational initiative will enable the national, not-for-profit organization’s 52 locations across Canada to be more integrated and cost-efficient, thereby improving community services and patient care.
According to VON CEO Judith Shamina, VON’s vision is to streamline practices and create a technology platform that is compatible with provincial systems, so we are in better position to integrate into the larger healthcare system. This will facilitate the adoption of electronic health records, and enable, for the first time, the integration of home and community care activities into other parts of the health care system.
Home health care is the fastest growing sector in health care and as the Canadian population ages, demand will increase. Approximately 900,000 Canadians regularly access home care. Between 1995 and 2002, the number of Canadians receiving home care increased by more than 60 per cent.
The IBM contract covers financing, business transformation, consulting, application management of back-office functions, new hardware, portal software, and integration services to support the new wireless handheld devices.
IBM | Google Health Record news
February 05, 2009. IBM announced another groundbreaking initiative in the drive to improve the capabilities and value of personal health records. IBM and Google announced new advances – powered by IBM software – that allow all kinds of personal medical devices used for patient monitoring, screening and routine evaluation to automatically stream their results into an individual’s Google Health Account or other personal health record. From there, patients can direct how their “health diaries” will be shared with physicians, family, and other members of the extended care network.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Faculties of Medicine say Budget 2009 does not ensure that Canada continues to develop and retain world-class talent
. . . . in research and development
Ottawa, January 28, 2009 – The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) is concerned that the budget does not do enough to ensure that Canada emerges from our current fiscal challenges in a global leadership position in science and technology, and research and development – the engine of the economy of tomorrow.
According to Dr. Nick Busing, President and CEO of the association. “Budget 2009 missed an important opportunity to signal that Canada is committed to dealing with the current economic crisis, but is equally committed to ensuring a prosperous future for science and technology, particularly in the health and biomedical sector. While important measures were put into place to deal with Canada’s immediate needs, it stopped short of making significant investments to ensure that Canada continues to develop and retain world-class talent in research and development in the health and biomedical sciences. Infrastructure investments, without similar investments in human resources will not be optimized.”
Busing says it would take a very modest investment for the federal government to take a real leadership role in collecting and analyzing data pertaining to the current and future needs of Canada in terms of health human resources.
Contact Irving Gold
Vice President, Government Relations and External Affairs
The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
(613) 730 0687 x236
igold@afmc.ca
Ottawa, January 28, 2009 – The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) is concerned that the budget does not do enough to ensure that Canada emerges from our current fiscal challenges in a global leadership position in science and technology, and research and development – the engine of the economy of tomorrow.
According to Dr. Nick Busing, President and CEO of the association. “Budget 2009 missed an important opportunity to signal that Canada is committed to dealing with the current economic crisis, but is equally committed to ensuring a prosperous future for science and technology, particularly in the health and biomedical sector. While important measures were put into place to deal with Canada’s immediate needs, it stopped short of making significant investments to ensure that Canada continues to develop and retain world-class talent in research and development in the health and biomedical sciences. Infrastructure investments, without similar investments in human resources will not be optimized.”
Busing says it would take a very modest investment for the federal government to take a real leadership role in collecting and analyzing data pertaining to the current and future needs of Canada in terms of health human resources.
Contact Irving Gold
Vice President, Government Relations and External Affairs
The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
(613) 730 0687 x236
igold@afmc.ca
Budget 2009 Leaves Few Assurances for Canada’s Top Research Talent
OTTAWA, January 28, 2009 - Research Canada: An Alliance for Health Discovery is pleased with a number of measures in the Federal Government’s 2009 Budget, including the more than $1.5 Billion investment in science and technology. Research Canada applauds the government’s further investment of $750 million for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in support of research infrastructure. Canada will continue to make important strides in building world-class research facilities which create short- and medium-term jobs for Canadians into the future. Research Canada is also pleased with the temporary expansion of the Canada Graduate Scholarship Program ($87.5 million).
The lack of new investment in the nation’s research and innovation engine, however, is concerning; notably the absence of additional base funding for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the other granting councils and Genome Canada. “It is the Federal Government’s role to ensure that the ground is fertile for the creation and commercialization of new ideas by increasing investments in discovery research through the granting councils,” commented Dr. Michael Julius, Research Canada’s Chair and Vice-President of Research, at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. “Without increased investments in funds to support getting research done, we are poised to lose the competitive edge that previous investments in infrastructure have achieved. Our global partners are making these investments. Harmonizing funding across the research spectrum of ideas, people and infrastructure is essential to our industry’s capacity to create jobs and introduce innovative goods and services into the market.”
The economic impact of Canadian health research is significant. “On an annual basis our industry generates $12 Billion in economic activity and provides employment and training for over 10,000 people across Canada,” said Ms. Deborah Gordon-El-Bihbety, President and CEO of Research Canada. “The sector also supports more than 20,000 scientists, clinical investigators and other researchers and staff.” Canada has many of the right ingredients to succeed in the knowledge based economy including a highly skilled workforce and some of the best research facilities in the world. Laying the foundation for a stronger and more sustainable economy of the future will be predicated, however, on our country’s ability to make research and development in the health and life sciences a top national priority.
Research Canada is a not-for-profit, voluntary organization whose members are dedicated to advancing health research in Canada. Its membership is drawn from all sectors including the leading health research institutes, national health charities, hospitals, regional health authorities, universities, private industry, health professional associations and others.
Media Contact: Ms. Heidi McSweeney Director, Government Relations Telephone: 613-234-5129, Cell phone: 613-286-2830 Fax:(613) 565-2278 e-mail: hmcsweeney@rc-rc.cawww.rc-rc.ca
The lack of new investment in the nation’s research and innovation engine, however, is concerning; notably the absence of additional base funding for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the other granting councils and Genome Canada. “It is the Federal Government’s role to ensure that the ground is fertile for the creation and commercialization of new ideas by increasing investments in discovery research through the granting councils,” commented Dr. Michael Julius, Research Canada’s Chair and Vice-President of Research, at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. “Without increased investments in funds to support getting research done, we are poised to lose the competitive edge that previous investments in infrastructure have achieved. Our global partners are making these investments. Harmonizing funding across the research spectrum of ideas, people and infrastructure is essential to our industry’s capacity to create jobs and introduce innovative goods and services into the market.”
The economic impact of Canadian health research is significant. “On an annual basis our industry generates $12 Billion in economic activity and provides employment and training for over 10,000 people across Canada,” said Ms. Deborah Gordon-El-Bihbety, President and CEO of Research Canada. “The sector also supports more than 20,000 scientists, clinical investigators and other researchers and staff.” Canada has many of the right ingredients to succeed in the knowledge based economy including a highly skilled workforce and some of the best research facilities in the world. Laying the foundation for a stronger and more sustainable economy of the future will be predicated, however, on our country’s ability to make research and development in the health and life sciences a top national priority.
Research Canada is a not-for-profit, voluntary organization whose members are dedicated to advancing health research in Canada. Its membership is drawn from all sectors including the leading health research institutes, national health charities, hospitals, regional health authorities, universities, private industry, health professional associations and others.
Media Contact: Ms. Heidi McSweeney Director, Government Relations Telephone: 613-234-5129, Cell phone: 613-286-2830 Fax:(613) 565-2278 e-mail: hmcsweeney@rc-rc.cawww.rc-rc.ca
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