ElectronicHealthcare
Abstract
The 2001/2002 Annual Report: Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Survey is now accessible at www.lillyhospitalsurvey.ca. This is the 14th report in a series that tracks progress in the provision of pharmacy services in Canadian hospitals dating back to 1986. The report provides data tables, figures, and commentary on all aspects of pharmacy services. To support comparison, information is provided for all respondents' facilities and for facilities by bed size, by teaching status, and by province.
The report chronicles the current state of medication incident reporting and incident-review systems in place in Canadian hospitals. This is followed by an extensive discussion of medication incident-reduction strategies in key areas of the medication system. The editors describe alignment of current practice with standards set by recognized bodies such as the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, the Institute for Health Care Improvement, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, and the United States Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. The report challenges pharmacists to be involved in and provide leadership in establishing programs that improve and enhance patient safety. It provides insight into collaborative strategies that can and should be adopted to further improve systems. A sampling of results is shown in Figure 1.
Trends identified in other sections of the report provide insight into a pharmacy perspective on the changing health system. Pharmacy staffing and salaries are documented. There continues to be a shortage of hospital pharmacists, while recruiting to technician and management positions does not seem to be unduly difficult. The extent of the shortage of hospital pharmacists (228 vacancies in respondents' hospitals on March 31, 2002) and the impact this is having on provision of clinical services is described. Recruitment and retention strategies adopted to reverse this trend are having limited impact.
Slow progress is described in the delivery of clinical pharmacy services and enhancements to drug distribution systems. Increases in automation, and expansion of the role of pharmacy technicians in checking the work of other technicians, have supported marginal but steady gains in pharmacist involvement in direct patient care. Data from a subset of larger hospitals defines staffing and drug costs at a program level for key specialty areas. The report concludes with a comparison of key indicators for pediatric and all respondents.
The 2001/2002 Annual Report of Hospital Pharmacy in Canada
provides comprehensive, comparative data. It offers the reader a
valuable tool to support improvement of practice.
Figure
1
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has announced a new initiative valued at approximately $1 million to support research that will examine and analyze public health and healthcare system preparedness and Canada's response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.
Entitled "Public Health and Health Care System Preparedness and Response to SARS: Evaluation and Lessons Learned," the initiative focuses on research questions regarding public health and healthcare systems. The information gained will allow public health and healthcare providers to respond optimally to future occurrences of SARS and other similar epidemics. The goals include the identification, analysis and study of the social, ethical, psychological, economic and other consequences of the SARS outbreak. Researchers will also evaluate the control and preventive measures taken to date.
Selected investigators will be funded by CIHR and its Institutes
of Population and Public Health, Health Services and Policy
Research, Infection and Immunity, and Circulatory and Respiratory
Health, along with Health Canada and the Canadian Lung Association
in partnership with the Association pulmonaire du Qubec.
As part of an overall three-part health research strategy on SARS, CIHR also announced that Canadian research teams will receive $1.7 million to support research on the causes and consequences of SARS, as well as the creation of the Canadian SARS Research Consortium (CSRC) to coordinate, promote and support Canadian research on SARS and newly emerging infectious diseases. This strategy includes the $1 million contribution to CIHR announced recently by Health Minister Anne McLellan. Further information on these other two announcements can be obtained at www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
Ontario's Health and Long-Term Care Minister Tony Clement recently named the members of an expert panel that will be providing advice on how to strengthen infectious disease control during future outbreaks. Panel members are Dr. Wilbert Keon, CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute; Dr. Jack Kitts, Chief Executive Officer of The Ottawa Hospital; Dr. Andreas Laupacis, President and CEO of the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences; Dr. Donald Low, Chief of Microbiology at Mount Sinai Hospital; Dr. Kieran Moore, an emergency physician at Sudbury Regional Hospital; Leslie Vincent, Chief of Nursing at Mount Sinai Hospital; and Dr. Robin Williams, Niagara Region's Medical Officer of Health.
Dr. David Walker, Dean of Medicine at Queen's University, is chair. Ex-officio members of the panel are Dr. Sheela Basrur, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health; Dr. Colin D'Cunha, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario; Dr. Hanif Kassam, Associate Medical Officer of Health in York Region; Dr. David Naylor, Dean of Medicine at the University of Toronto; Dr. Jim Young, Commissioner of Public Security; and Dr. Dick Zoutman, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Kingston General Hospital.
The work of the panel will include assessing the backup capacity
needed in the healthcare system, as well as research into measures
to strengthen infectious disease control, public-health and
system-response capabilities. See www.health.gov.on.ca.
Ontario Premier Ernie Eves has announced substantial funding for
the province's hospitals, including $484 million to increase
base funding for hospital operations, which was committed to in
the 2003 budget. This includes a minimum 3% increase for each
hospital; and $136 million in new base funding for expanded
services at restructured hospitals and for priority
programs.
The Ontario government has announced an investment of $3.1
million to establish a province-wide cancer information
integration office in Timmins, Ont. This initiative will
provide an efficient, reliable and confidential information-sharing
platform for cancer care providers at 37 northern community cancer
treatment sites, making it easier for physicians to access timely
and complete information to make appropriate care and treatment
decisions for patients.
On July 31, nine new operating rooms opened at London Health
Sciences Centre's University Campus, including one dedicated to
research utilizing robotic technology with fully operative
radiology support. Construction took 18 months to complete at a
cost
of $5.8 million. An additional $2 million was invested in new
equipment.
At Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre,
Virginia McLaughlin becomes the Chair of the Board of Directors.
Susan VanDeVelde-Coke leaves her current position as
Vice-President, Operations, at the Victorian Order of Nurses Canada
to join Sunnybrook and Women's as Executive Vice-President of
Programs/Chief Health Professions Executive. She is also a Clinical
Associate at the University of Ottawa, was previously an Assistant
Professor at the University of Manitoba, and held the positions of
Vice-President and Senior Vice-President of Nursing at the Health
Sciences Centre, Winnipeg.
Northumberland Health Care Corporation has announced that
it will change its name to Northumberland Hills Hospital once the
facility relocates in October 2003.
Ontario's new Provincial Chief Nursing Officer is Sue
Matthews, who is Chief of Nursing and Professional Practice at
Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket. As Chief Nursing
Officer, Matthews will advise the Eves government on health and
relevant public policy from a nursing perspective, foster
collaboration between government and nursing stakeholders, and
support the implementation and monitoring of the Nursing Task Force
recommendations.
The Ontario Hospital Association has asked the Change Foundation
to take a lead role in research for an improved mask for infection
control. Dr. Donald Low, microbiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital,
has agreed to chair the steering committee.
The Ontario government is investing $41.5 million in the next
four years to enhance pharmacy services. The $41.5 million
includes:
- A 1% increase effective April 1, 2003, in the dispensing fee
charged to the province for Ontario Drug Benefit Program (ODB)
recipients, to provide $5 million in the first year to support
technology upgrades
- $3 million in the first year for medication management
demonstration projects
- More than $10 million in each of the next two years for both dispensing fees and demonstration projects
The demonstration projects will involve both pharmacists and
physicians, with a preference given to family health networks and
other primary care group practices. The projects may include
activities such as reviewing drugs being taken by patients on
complex medication regimens, physicians consulting with pharmacists
about drug choices for their patients, and pharmacists working with
patients and physicians to promote compliance when taking
medications. See www.health.gov.on.ca
Health Canada is contributing $200,000 to Media Pulse, a
project designed to raise awareness among health professionals
about how media can influence the health and well-being of children
and adolescents. The Media Awareness Network (MNet), a non-profit
organization and Canada's leading media-education source, has
teamed up with the Canadian Paediatric Society to develop Media
Pulse, with funding from Health Canada's Population Health
Fund.
Canada Health Infoway has signed letters of intent to develop shared diagnostic imaging (DI) systems with the Fraser Health Authority (which includes 12 regional hospitals in British Columbia), as well as with eight hospitals in southwestern Ontario in the Thames Valley region (London, Middlesex, Elgin and Oxford County hospitals). Infoway's investments will contribute to the creation of a shared services model that can be deployed across Canada to accelerate access to DI services and reduce costs to hospitals. The technology will enable healthcare providers in participating hospitals to view patients' test images (such as x-rays and MRIs) and reports online, regardless of where the tests were conducted within the region. Infoway's investments in these shared DI projects will also address the challenge of providing quick and affordable access for smaller hospitals and clinics to the technology underlying electronic health records. Small hospitals and clinics make up 80% of Canadian facilities.
These projects are part of Infoway's third round of
investments announced in May. This round includes investments of
approximately $135 million in nine projects across Canada, four
focused on diagnostic imaging and five on drug information
systems.
In British Columbia, a new $700,000 program will give patients in rural and isolated areas better access to a wide variety of healthcare services by placing students from a variety of health disciplines in their communities. The program includes students from nursing, medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy and speech-language pathology. In the course of their studies, qualified students will have the opportunity to be placed in small and remote communities for periods of 10 to 12 weeks.
The program's goals include:
- Helping to recruit and retain healthcare professionals to work
in rural B.C. in the long term.
- Providing patients in rural and remote areas with more health
services immediately.
- Expanding practical learning opportunities for a broader range
of student health providers.
- Structuring and evaluating how professionals from different disciplines work together.
The B.C. Academic Health Council will administer the program in
partnership with health authorities, post-secondary institutions
and rural communities. The program, combined with a provincial
clinical-placement database, is part of a government initiative to
expand and enhance the quality and quantity of healthcare clinical
placements.
Funding for British Columbia's six health authorities
will rise by $132 million in 2003-04 to exceed $6.1 billion. Since
2001-02, the government has increased the base funding commitment
to health authorities by 10.4 %. Health authority allocations for
2003-04 are:
- Northern Health Authority: increase of $6.3 million for a total
of $318.9 million
- Interior Health Authority: increase of $18.5 million for a
total of $926.3 million
- Fraser Health Authority: increase of $28.9 million for a total
of $1.385 billion
- Vancouver Coastal Health Authority: increase of $29.6 million
for a total of $1.676 billion
- Vancouver Island Health Authority: increase of $19.9 million
for a total of $1.003 billion
- Provincial Health Services Authority: increase of $28.8 million
for a total of $847.2 million
- Nisga'a Health Council: total allocation of $643,690
Funding allocations for health authorities were included in the
2003-04 budget of $10.5 billion for the Ministry of Health
Services. The increase includes $319 million in additional federal
funding from the Health Accord, which will be fully directed to
patients. The federal funding will be allocated to health
authorities to sustain existing plans to continue reforms in the
areas of primary care, home care and catastrophic drug
coverage.
Alberta is providing an additional $94 million to assist publicly supported facilities with cost pressures for operations and maintenance. The one-time payments will be provided to school boards, post-secondary institutions, regional health authorities, government-supported housing and other agencies across the province.
Operations and maintenance funding will be distributed through
five departments as follows:
- $30 million for schools from Alberta Infrastructure
- $30 million for post-secondary institutions from Alberta
Learning
- $21.5 million from Alberta Health and Wellness for hospitals
and other buildings administered by regional health
authorities
- $7.5 million from Alberta Seniors for government-supported
housing
- $5 million from Alberta Community Development for libraries, provincial parks and other publicly supported facilities
An emergency telephone service that links rural Alberta physicians with medical specialists in the Capital Health Region has been granted $400,000 to continue its service for another year. The Critical Care Line allows physicians in rural and remote communities to receive advice from on-call medical and surgical specialists when treating critically ill or injured patients. These conference calls often include several specialists, healthcare professionals and emergency medical transport officials who consult on how to treat and transport patients to appropriate healthcare services. The line helps to coordinate the transport of patients to hospitals in the Capital Health Region as well as to hospitals in Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie. Last year, the service handled 3,600 calls.
The line was established in 2000 with a $1.5 million grant from
the Alberta Health and Wellness Health Innovation Fund. The line
primarily serves central and northern Alberta, but also receives
calls from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and northeast British
Columbia.
The Saskatchewan government is investing $900,000 this year to plan the expansion of the emergency and critical care services within the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority, focusing on access to care at Royal University Hospital (RUH). This investment will allow the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority to finalize the scope, costs and design of the project, in preparation for expanding the emergency department, upgrading the operating rooms and redeveloping the critical care areas at Royal University Hospital.
Saskatoon Regional Health Authority is the largest health region
in Saskatchewan, serving approximately 300,000 residents in more
than 100 cities, towns, rural municipalities, and First Nations.
There are more than 106,000 emergency room visits per year at
Saskatoon's three emergency rooms, equivalent to 290 patients per
day. Almost 40% of surgeries are for people living outside the
health authority. In addition, the health authority provides almost
35,000 inpatient and day surgery procedures annually, equivalent to
96 procedures per day.
Saskatchewan Health is also investing $6 million in the
Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA) for two new linear
accelerators, renovations for the new equipment, and health
provider training.
Saskatchewan students who want to enter health professions will benefit from bursary funding in exchange for a commitment to work in the province. The provincial government is devoting $4 million to support return-service bursary programs in the health field. More than 60 new bursaries will be offered to Saskatchewan students studying health sciences disciplines, including pharmacy, nuclear medicine, cytology, magnetic resonance imaging, medical radiation and medical laboratory technology, physical, occupational and respiratory therapy, prosthetic and orthotic technology, speech-language pathology, audiology, public-health inspection and clinical psychology.
More than 200 new bursaries will be targeted to Saskatchewan students studying to be registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses, primary care nurse practitioners, and those wishing to re-enter nursing. As well, a new bursary will be offered to five nurses in graduate studies who agree to teach at one of Saskatchewan's post-secondary educational institutions upon graduation. This initiative will help to fill the vacant nursing teaching positions at post-secondary institutions in Saskatchewan.
In partnership with the Saskatchewan Medical Association, the
government is offering 50 bursaries throughout the year to students
and residents studying medicine. As well, the government is
targeting 80 bursaries to students studying to be emergency medical
technicians.
Dr. Pierre-Gerlier Forest has been appointed to the
G.D.W. Cameron Visiting Chair for Health Canada. Reporting to the
Deputy Minister, Dr. Forest will provide advice to the Minister,
the Deputy Minister and the department on a wide range of emerging
health issues, participate in senior departmental committees and
take part in developing policy. Dr. Forest is a Professor of Public
Policy and Management with the Department of Political Science of
Laval University. He is best known for his research and
publications pertaining to health policy and health services
governance. He is also known for his work as Research Director of
the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (Romanow
Commission). The G.D.W. Cameron Visiting Chair was created in 1999
in honour of Dr. George Donald West Cameron, who served as Deputy
Minister of National Health between 1946 and 1965. Dr. Forest
succeeds Dr. Robert McMurtry, who was the first Fellow to occupy
the Visiting Chair.
In Nova Scotia, almost $10 million is being invested this year in hospital repairs. The funding is being distributed to district health authorities for repairs that range from replacement of roofs, windows, and boilers to addressing air-quality concerns. All districts will receive a share of the $9.8 million available province-wide. This amount represents an increase from the $3.8 million available for hospital repairs in 2002-03. The funding is part of the $30million capital grant announced in the 2003-04 budget. The remaining $20 million will be used for larger projects, already announced or under development.
Also in Nova Scotia, an advisory group of more than 20 health partners has developed a primary healthcare renewal plan that will help all Nova Scotians become and stay healthier. The Advisory Committee on Primary Health Care Renewal recommends a focus on health promotion, a greater role for communities in defining needs, a team approach to healthcare delivery and effective use of technology as key steps to increasing access to healthcare services for Nova Scotians.
The report outlines reasons for change, including the high
incidence of chronic disease among Nova Scotians; a healthcare
system focused on hospitals and treatment rather than prevention;
and a recognition that improvements are necessary to improve access
issues for all Nova Scotians. The report is available on the
Department of Health website at www.gov.ns.ca/health or by
calling 1-800-565-3611.
Elvy Robichaud has been reappointed Minister of Health
and Wellness in the new cabinet of Bernard Lord in New
Brunswick.
Quebec's Health and Social Services Minister Philippe Couillard
recently announced that the government would contribute $800
million each to the construction of a new University of
Montreal hospital complex (CHUM) and a McGill University
Hospital Complex (MUHC). He said each hospital would be obliged
to collect a minimum of $200 million from the federal government or
private donations. Current cost estimates for the two facilities
total about $2.3 billion. Dr. Couillard estimated that the two new
super-hospitals would be operational by 2010 at the latest, four
years later than originally planned. When built, MUHC will have 832
beds, and CHUM more than 1,000 beds. Both of these totals include
capacity at the secondary hospital sites.
PEI's Department of Health and Social Services will be
purchasing three seats per year for each of the next three years to
provide training for medical laboratory technologists at the New
Brunswick Community College. Medical laboratory technologists
provide laboratory testing related to the diagnosis, treatment and
monitoring of disease. In October 2001, the Prince Edward Island
Health and Social Services System completed a comprehensive "Health
Human Resource Supply and Demand Analysis," which projected a
shortage of medical laboratory technologists due to a large number
of potential retirements.
The Scarborough Hospital has announced the appointment of
Glenna Raymond as interim President and Chief Executive Officer.
She replaces Ron Bodrug, who will be on a leave
of absence. Ms. Raymond has been with TSH since 1986. Most
recently, she was Senior Vice-President with responsibilities for
patient services, nursing and professional practice and corporate
planning.
The hospital also announced that its board of directors has
elected Terry Brazill as Chair, replacing David E. Baird who
remains a director. Mr. Brazill is president of Brazill Family
Foods Inc., which owns and operates four McDonald's restaurants in
the Scarborough area of the City of Toronto.
The council of the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), the regulatory body for Ontario's 140,000 nurses, elected its executive officers for 2003-04 at its June 5 meeting in Toronto: Sandra Ireland, RN, President; Sue Burnell-Jones, RN, Vice-President; and Dawn Norling, RPN, Vice-President.
Ms. Ireland is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the trauma and
neurosciences program of Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton. Ms.
Burnell-Jones is a Nurse Educator at Carling View Manor and
Algonquin College in the Faculty of Health Sciences in Ottawa. Ms.
Norling is a staff nurse in the medical-surgical unit of the Sault
Area Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie. The CNO's 39-member Council
consists of elected registered nurses (RNs), registered practical
nurses (RPNs) and government-appointed public members.
Charles L. Seguin, Chair of St. John's Rehabilitation Hospital Board of Directors, recently announced five appointments to the hospital's governing board - Joanne Flint, Toronto City Councillor for Don Mills West; Michael (Mike) Harris, former Premier of Ontario; James F. Kennedy, former Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP; Dr. Helene Polatajko, Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto; and Angelina Yau, Executive Director of the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care.
St. Joseph's Care Group will assume governance and management of Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital. The divestment of the region's provincial psychiatric facility, which is the result of a directive issued by the Health Services Restructuring Commission in 1996, supports the efforts of mental-health reform in Ontario.
In keeping with the principles of mental-health reform in
Ontario, enhanced community-based mental-health services will be
provided to support clients and their families. These services will
be provided by a local healthcare organization under the direction
of a volunteer board of directors. Change in governance and
management will allow the administration and the board of St.
Joseph's Care Group to actively advocate and expand services for
mental-health clients in northwestern Ontario, when needed. St.
Joseph's Care Group is owned and operated by the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie and managed by a volunteer board of
directors. The Care Group is committed to providing programs and
services in complex care, rehabilitation, long-term care,
supportive housing, addictions and mental health to meet the needs
of the residents of the districts of Thunder Bay and Kenora-Rainy
River.
The new Chair of St. Joseph's Health Care in London, Ontario is
Anne Cunningham.
Mary Jo Haddad has been appointed Executive
Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at the Hospital for Sick
Children, Toronto. Previously, she was Vice-President of Child
Health Services and Chief Nurse Executive at the
hospital.
In 1991, Norfolk General Hospital launched an energy
management program that in 10 years decreased the hospital's
overall energy budget by more than 22%. For more information on
Norfolk General's energy management success, contact
J. J. Knott at jknott@ngh.on.ca.
Pamela C. Spencer has joined Cancer Care Ontario as
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.
Don Storch, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Victorian
Order of Nurses for Canada, is pleased to announce the
appointment of R.M. (Ron) Farrell as President and Chief Executive
Officer of the VON. Mr. Farrell has been involved in community
healthcare development and delivery for more than 20 years, holding
a number of senior positions with the federal, provincial and
territorial governments. Most recently (1996-2003), Mr. Farrell was
General Manager, Atlantic Zone, and National Director, Planning and
Evaluation, with the Canadian Red Cross.
Dr. Martin Barkin, the first Chair of the Sunnybrook &
Women's Board of Directors, had a University of Toronto Research
Chair named in his honour recently as a tribute to his volunteer
work with the hospital, leadership in healthcare and lifelong
commitment to academic medicine. The Martin Barkin Chair in
Urological Research was created to fund research in urology at
the University of Toronto and its affiliate teaching hospitals,
such as Sunnybrook & Women's. As Canada's largest academic
urology division, the Division of Urology at the Faculty of
Medicine, University of Toronto produces significant research in a
wide range of fields.
Dr. Peter Glynn, Chair of the ICES Board of Directors, is pleased to announce the appointment of three distinguished new board members.
Mr. John Wright is Senior Vice-President for the Canadian
Public Affairs Division of Ipsos-Reid Corporation. Mr. Wright has
acquired more than two decades of expertise in public affairs and
government relations, including 14 years as Ipsos-Reid's lead media
spokesperson on politics, policy and consumer trends.
Dr. Bernie O'Brien, an internationally renowned health economist, is a Professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University and an Associate in McMaster's Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis. Dr. O'Brien is also the Associate Editor of Medical Decision Making, and serves on the editorial boards of Health Economics, Pharmacoeconomics, and Clinical Therapeutics.
Mr. Denis Morrice is President and CEO of the Arthritis Society. Throughout his career, he has held senior positions with the Canadian Hearing Society and the Ontario government. Mr. Morrice is active on an extensive array of voluntary boards and committees, such as the Canadian Joint Replacement Registry, the University of Ottawa's Institute for Population Health and the Health Charities Council of Canada.
The following members of the ICES Board of Directors were
re-elected: Dr. Peter Glynn (Chair), Ms. Bonnie Adamson, Dr. Hui
Lee, Ms. Wendy Nicklin and Dr. Duncan Sinclair.
Vendor News
Agfa Inc. recently announced that the Fraser Health
Authority has selected Agfa HealthCare's computed radiology
(CR) solutions to acquire, identify and digitize diagnostic images.
The $3.59-million agreement will see the Agfa Diagnostic Centre
(ADCª) CR solutions deployed across 11 of the sites administered by
Fraser Health. The award currently includes 11 ADC Compact Plusª
and 16 ADC Soloª digitizers, 14 ADC Quality System servers with the
newly released ADC QSª 2.1 software, supported with fully
functional systems for patient ID and related ADC
software.
IMS Health Canada has announced the appointment of Mr.
Bruce Good to the new position of Senior Vice-President,
Commercial. Mr. Good is responsible for leading the sales,
marketing and client service teams in serving the Canadian
pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. Mr. Good will also lead the
development of new business solutions for the Canadian market and
the implementation of commercial plans and strategies.
Global Healthcare Exchange (Canada), Inc. (GHX) and the
Association of Ontario Medical Manufacturers (AOMM) have
formed a strategic alliance. AOMM now recommends GHX as the
preferred provider for e-commerce services to its members. AOMM
represents more than 50 small- and medium-sized medical device
manufacturers, which offer products and services ranging from
assistive devices to high-definition ultrasound machines. GHX
provides an open and neutral electronic trading exchange through
which healthcare providers and suppliers can buy and sell products
more efficiently and cost-effectively. Currently, 93 hospitals and
18 suppliers in Canada are using GHX to transact business
electronically with one another.
GE Medical Systems Information Technologies (NYSE: GE),
and Triple G Systems Group, Inc. (TSX: TGG) have announced
that they have signed a definitive transaction agreement, pursuant
to which GE will acquire Triple G, a leading independent developer
of laboratory information systems. In this transaction, GE will
acquire all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Triple G
for a consideration of $3.30 (Canadian) per share, payable in
cash.
The 2003 3M Health Care Quality Team Awards went to the
Trillium Health Centre of Mississauga in the acute sector category,
and to St. John's Rehabilitation Hospital and The Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute for a joint submission in the non-acute
category. Trillium's award was for the development of a performance
excellence dashboard - an electronic monitoring and measurement
tool used to support strategic decision-making, quality initiatives
and measures. St. John's Rehabilitation Hospital and the Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute worked in partnership to create a
satisfaction survey tool for measuring patient satisfaction in
outpatient rehabilitation. The awards were held concurrently with
the National Health Care Leadership Conference in Edmonton. See
www.3m.com/ca/healthcare
Pierre Boucher Hospital Center in Quebec has retained the
services of Purkinje¨, a Canadian-based electronic health
record provider, to implement a cutting-edge solution for the
transition from a paper patient file to an entirely computerized
patient record over the next few years. The hospital is recognized
for its efficiency and its significant use of advanced
technologies. The hospital sought an integrated electronic solution
to manage its patients' documents and data. The Purkinje solution
integrates archived digital files with auxiliary systems such as
laboratory and imagery centres via the HL7 protocol. See
www.purkinje.com
Siemens Canada Limited has appointed Doug Morton as
Senior Vice-President, Siemens One Canada and Andrew Hind as
Vice-President, Medical Solutions Division. In his new capacity,
Mr. Morton will be responsible for ensuring the effective
cross-selling of all Siemens offerings, and efficiently managing
the implementation of resulting projects across diverse industry
sectors. Succeeding Mr. Morton as Vice-President of the Medical
Solutions Division, Mr. Hind will be responsible for establishing
and implementing the overall business and marketing strategies for
the business unit, providing a full range of integrated services
including multi-vendor solutions, asset planning and management. He
will oversee and direct Siemens offerings for advanced medical
technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed
tomography (CT), radiography, oncology care systems, and image
management and networking systems such as PACS and
telemedicine.
Soltrus Inc. announced that Nightingale Informatix has
integrated Soltrus' authentication services into its flagship
offering - myNightingale - providing physicians and allied
healthcare providers with a trusted environment and a host of
features that make it easier for them to conduct healthcare
transactions. Nightingale will integrate Soltrus' Managed Public
Key Infrastructure (MPKI) solution to secure its healthcare portal,
used by physicians across Canada and the northeast USA. The portal
provides physicians, patients, labs and other healthcare
professionals with real-time access to clinical and practice
management applications, through a secure central data location,
anywhere, anytime.
Misys Healthcare Systems has completed its purchase of
the Patient1¨ product line from Per-Se Technologies, Inc.
(Nasdaq: PSTI). The system included computerized patient record and
computerized physician order entry (CPR/CPOE) information systems.
Patient1 employees have become employees of Misys
Healthcare.
Dan Thornton, Chief Operating Officer of Co-operators Life
Insurance Company, has been elected Chairman of the Canadian
Life and Health Insurance Association Inc. (CLHIA). A member of
the CLHIA Board of Directors for the past two years, Mr. Thornton
has served as Chair of the association's Standing Committee on
Government Relations and as a member of the Standing Committees on
Resources and Member Services.
MediSolution Ltd. (MSH:TSX) has appointed Paul Hill as
Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Business Strategy. Mr. Hill's
prior positions include Vice-President of Applications Marketing at
Cognos Inc. in Ottawa, and Vice-President of Product Marketing and
Business Development at Adaytum Software, based out of Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Most recently, Mr. Hill was Vice-President, Business
Development at Platform Computing, an Ontario-based provider of
distributed and Grid computing software.
McGill University Health Centre in Montreal will automate
all aspects of the clinical and anatomic laboratories and will
include outreach, imaging and support for robotics solutions.
Laboratory information technology will come from Cerner.
According to the results of an annual reputation poll conducted
by Harris Interactive and published in The Wall Street
Journal, Johnson & Johnson was acknowledged as
having the best corporate reputation in America for the fourth
straight year.
The Canadian Pharmaceutical Distribution Network (CPDN)
will align with McKesson Canada as its single, national logistics
provider. McKesson Canada has serviced CPDN's western customers
since 1996. This new national arrangement will be effective May
2004.
At Sodexho, Ross Maund is now in charge of healthcare.
Ocean sailing replaced by customer satisfaction - chalk one up for
healthcare. During the summer Sodexho's Foundation served lunches
to children who receive financial assistance during the school
year, and would otherwise be at risk of chronic hunger -Chalk one
up for the kids.
We found Chris Sherback registered with SETI@home - a
scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Apparently, 1,300
installations for ORMED across North America wasn't enough for
Chris, and he's exploring new frontiers. He's in good company with
SETI supporters like the University of California Digital Media
Innovation Program; Sun Microsystems, Hewlett Packard, Fuji Film,
Quantum, Intel, IBM and others.
The Partnership for Health Information Standards has
appointed Mike Leavy as its new Chair. Mr. Leavy is Senior Manager,
Standards and Architecture with HealthNet.
The partnership is an initiative of the Canadian Institute for
Health Information (CIHI), designed to bring together public and
private sector experts in the health information standards field.
It is the bridge to a vibrant health information standards
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More News from Canada Health Infoway
Canada Health Infoway and the Canadian Institute for
Health Information have formalized a relationship to work together
on standards for electronic health record systems.
Canada Health Infoway Inc. (Infoway) and the Canadian
Institute for Health Information (CIHI) have formalized a
relationship with respect to the development and maintenance of
standards required in support of electronic health record (EHR)
data definitions and standards.
As part of the agreement, Infoway will lead the development of EHR Solution standards and act as the overall program manager for EHR standards-related work. CIHI will act in the capacity of preferred partner to Infoway in the development of these standards. CIHI will continue to be responsible for data definitions, content standards and classification systems, which are core to CIHI's business.
The key benefits of developing standards include:
- driving down costs as they relate to initial design and
development
- supporting reuse and replication of components
- enhancing application integration and
interoperability
- fostering systems integration
All of this will reduce the total cost of ownership over the long term. In addition, common standards will provide the necessary flexibility to handle the business needs of a wide range of organizations.
CIHI will continue to provide coordination for the various standards stakeholder organizations both within Canada and internationally, through activities such as the Partnership, HL7 Canada, the North American Collaborating Center for the World Health Organization, and the Canadian Advisory Committee of ISO/TC 215. Infoway will assume a seat on the Canadian Advisory Committee (CAC) of ISO/TC 215 Canada as well as a seat on the executive committee for HL7 Canada.
CIHI is widely recognized as a leader in the development of health informatics standards. This, along with successful collaboration between the organizations, makes CIHI a natural choice as a preferred partner for defining and undertaking work related to the development and maintenance of EHR standards.
Infoway and CIHI have partnered on a number of initiatives, including the National e-Claims Standards Project to develop national standards for exchanging electronic health claims information. This CIHI-led project is funded by Infoway and has received strong support and participation from provinces, territories and the private sector.
Currently, as part of its first round of project investments, Infoway is leading an effort in collaboration with CIHI to assess the current state of EHR Solution standards and data requirements. The project will define Infoway's development approach and priorities for the next 12 to 18 months.
About EHR
An electronic health record provides each individual in Canada with
a secure and private lifetime record of his or her key health
history and care within the health system. The record is available
electronically to authorized healthcare providers and the
individual anywhere, anytime, in support of high-quality
care.
Infoway Releases Electronic Health Record
Blueprint
After months of consultation with over 300 stakeholders from the
healthcare, academic and vendor communities, Canada Health
Infoway has released its electronic health record solution
blueprint - EHRS Blueprint - An Interoperable EHR Framework. The
Blueprint provides a realistic, achievable approach to the complex
challenge of developing and implementing EHR solutions in Canada -
one which meets the requirements of individual healthcare
jurisdictions, whether provincial, territorial or regional.
Why an EHRS Blueprint?
The Blueprint was developed in response to the need for common
system architecture and its objectives were threefold:
- To gain a clear understanding of current Canadian and
international approaches, plans and initiatives related to
electronic health records. Through consultations with experts from
the field, Infoway sought to learn from the best practices
and lessons learned.
- To incorporate common standards and best practices in
information systems architecture with a focus on interoperability
across the continuum of care.
- To ensure appropriate validation from, and involvement of, key stakeholder groups such as healthcare administrators, IT specialists, providers, experts and technology vendors. This also includes the involvement of a reference group consisting of representatives nominated by Health Ministry chief information officers at the federal, provincial and territorial levels.
By outlining the business and technical considerations that will guide the development and implementation of EHR solutions, the Blueprint will serve to shape and inform Infoway's investment and rollout strategy - and maximize return on this very significant IT investment.
What Are the Benefits of the Blueprint?
- Greater efficiencies, reduced costs
By employing interoperable systems, much greater healthcare efficiencies can be achieved. The Blueprint also facilitates efficiency and reduced costs in systems design and development. When a system in one jurisdiction is developed to be reused, it can be replicated in another jurisdiction at a much lower cost and, as importantly, with much less risk. - Protection of existing investments
Healthcare jurisdictions have billions of dollars invested in their current IT infrastructures which support the way they do business. Under the Blueprint, which is based on open standards and interoperability, these jurisdictions do not face the prospect of replacing their "legacy" systems, but rather can potentially leverage these investments. - Simpler growth and migration strategies
By establishing a common definition and specifications for the business and technical architecture for interoperable EHR solutions, the Blueprint will provide the appropriate guidelines for future investment proposals and risk mitigation strategies.
What are the next steps?
With this first version of the Blueprint published, Infoway
will continue its process of consultations with stakeholders to
refine the architecture. Simultaneously, Infoway and its
stakeholders are undertaking a series of projects to further
solidify the EHR solutions. Currently, work is underway to define
the requirements and enabling solutions for privacy and IT
security. Next steps also include definition of the data
requirements and messaging and vocabulary standards.
The complete Blueprint is an interactive document and can be accessed by logging on to Infoway's e-Health KnowledgeWay portal at www.knowledge.infoway-inforoute.ca, where feedback and comments are welcomed in the Architecture Forum of the Communities of Practice section.
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