Maximizing health information and communication technologies (ICT) is an incontrovertible necessity if we wish to attain and sustain healthcare improvements. However, despite considerable investment, we are still a long way from realizing the promise of health ICT. The articles, reports and case studies presented here underline the value of health ICT, explain some of the barriers to their implementation, and describe very promising initiatives and strategies to accelerate their adoption.
Health Information Technology
Who’s using eHealth and mHealth?
New reports provide a global view on use of health information and communication technologies
April 2014
Adoption, use and effects of electronic medical records in Quebec
From Le Médecin du Québec, this study by Guy Paré finds that EMRs need to become better at seizing granular data and interoperable with hospital systems before more Quebec GPs embrace them
February 2014
Improving access to inpatient beds
This case study, prepared by Health Innovation Forum with contributions from Ms. Esther Leclerc, Assistant Director General at the CHUM, and Mr. Thierry Guyader, Director, Healthcare Improvement Division, McKesson, examines the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) partnership with McKesson to implement real-time information displays for greater efficiency in patient flow. — Produced as part of the series: “Partnerships to Enhance Health System Performance.”
October 2013
Personal health records in primary care: One province takes steps to make sure they’re available
This case study, prepared by Health Innovation Forum with contributions from family physician Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan; PHR project director in the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, Ms. Mary Russell; and product manager at McKesson, Mr. David Mosher, looks at the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness efforts to make the patient a partner in care and implement McKesson’s RelayHealth PHR. — Produced as part of the series “Partnerships to Enhance Health System Performance”
October 2013
Evidence-based multidisciplinary care for people with multiple chronic conditions
This case study, prepared by Health Innovation Forum with contributions from Dr. Alain Larouche and Ms. Guylaine Chabot from the Concerto Health Group, as well as Mr. Louis Larouche from Bell Business Solutions looks at how the Concerto Health Group brought technology and pharmaceutical partners together to support multidisciplinary primary care teams in Lanaudière, Québec. — Produced as part of the series “Partnerships to Enhance Health System Performance.”
October 2013
Improving access, portability and comprehensiveness through telemedicine
Telemedicine is stretching the boundaries of accessibility, portability and comprehensiveness in health care. The head of the Ontario Telemedicine Network, Edward Brown, feels that policy needs to catch up to new practice possibilities.
October 2011
What happened to the last billion dollars in health information technology?
Infoway’s President, Richard Alvarez, describes Canada’s progress in using information technology to transform health care.
October 2010
IT and health system integration
Matthew Anderson, head of the William Osler Health System, is working to forge stronger links between tertiary, secondary and community care organizations.
October 2010
Can we anticipate how IT will change health care?
According to Sholom Glouberman, founder of Patients Canada, information technology will drive progress toward a patient-centred system.
October 2010
Can health information technology liberate the UK’s NHS?
Charles Gutteridge, National Clinical Director for Informatics, presents the current status and likely evolution of the UK’s national health IT program.
October 2010
Health IT in Denmark: a culture of public responsibility
Otto Larsen, CEO of Digital Health, presents the current status and likely evolution of Denmark’s national health IT program
October 2010
Health IT: The state of the art
Robert Kolodner, former US National Coordinator for Health IT, examines the current status and likely evolution of national health IT programs.
October 2010
The value of information systems to the airline industry: Lessons for health care
Lise Fournel from Air Canada describes what the airline sector expects from its IT investments.
October 2010
Information technology and competitive pressure: Lessons for health care
Yeona Jang, Professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, outlines expectation of IT investments in the banking and manufacturing sectors.
October 2010
Information and communication technologies in the healthcare environment
Jean Huot, CIO at the CHUM and MUHC, describes the challenges of implementing IT solutions in health care
October 2010
Expanding access to specialized health services in Québec
This case study, prepared by the Health Innovation Forum with the collaboration of Johanne Desrochers, Associate Director of Telehealth at the MUHC, examines how the MUHC’s Telehealth program served as the starting point for creating a virtual health and social services network. — Produced as part of the MUHC-ISAI’s 2010 program.
June 2010
Effective home management of chronic disease
This case study, produced by Health Innovation Forum with contributions from Sylvie Nolet from the CSSS Alphonse-Desjardins, Louis-Marie Boivin from TELUS Health Solutions and Guy Paré from HEC, looks at a health and social services centre in Eastern Québec’s use of telemonitoring for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.— Produced as part of the MUHC-ISAI’s 2010 program.
June 2010
User uptake of hospital clinical information systems
This case study, produced by Health Innovation Forum with contributions from Mr. Jean Huot, Chief Information Officer at the MUHC and CHUM, Dr. Jeffrey Barkun, Director, Division of General Surgery, MUHC, and Dr. Luc Valiquette, Director of the Department of Surgery at the Université de Montréal, examines the role of Chief Clinical Officer of Technological Transition created by Montreal’s academic health centres to guide IT implementation. — Produced as part of the MUHC-ISAI’s 2010 program.
June 2010
From promise to measurable benefit
In this discussion paper, Marie-Claire Richer, Director of the Transition Support Office, and Patricia Lefebvre, Director of Quality, Risk and Performance at the MUHC, describe the challenges of evaluating health IT projects. Carole Lapierre, Alain Biron, Monique Périé and Claude Lemieux also participated in the paper.
June 2010
Health system transformation: What becomes possible with health IT
Rob Kolodner, who led the development of the Veterans Health Administration’s award-winning suite of health IT solutions, describes how these drove the shift to person-centred care.
August 2009
