Health Information Technology

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.

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

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

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

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