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The investment we make today in technology, in ideas, and in the people who put technology at the service of human health will lead to dividends in the future. At Health Canada, we want to explore with other Canadians the vast potential of the communications and information revolution, so that we can shine the light of our brightest ideas on our biggest health challenges. The networks and the knowledge, the people and the ideas, think of this as Canada's Health Infostructure. If we use it well, it will help us live longer, fuller lives and assist us in building a better health care system. Over the past two years, Health Canada, health professionals and other stakeholders have jointly invested $22 million in the Health Infostructure Support Program (HISP). HISP is 36 groundbreaking projects, developed by communities from coast to coast. Hospitals, health centres and other non-profit organizations are using HISP funds to explore exciting new frontiers, to find promising new ways to apply technology in health and health care.
They're building knowledge networks, delivering online training programs, and experimenting with innovative approaches to telehealth and telehomecare. There are projects to collect, manage and disseminate data, to safeguard the privacy of electronic health records and to spot potential disease outbreaks before they menace public health. With every project that tests a theory, evaluates a process or demonstrates a technology, HISP helps set a course for the future. By the end of the program, when HISP funding ends, Canadians will have witnessed for themselves the dazzling potential of technology in health care. And there will be more to come: more investments in innovation, fresh imagination and creativity, and a lasting commitment to human well-being. Health Canada is convinced that HISP will teach us today what we need to know for tomorrow. Because a solid health infostructure can dramatically improve the way we feel, how we live, and the care we've come to expect. In the spring of 1998, Health Canada received 121 proposals for financial support under the Health Infostructure Support Program. The proposals were scrutinized by internal and external reviewers, then evaluated by an independent panel of experts in health sciences and information technology. As a result of this process, 36 projects, grouped under four strategic themes, were accepted: knowledge management, telemedicine, telehome care and electronic health records. The work is now being carried out by 33 non-profit, non-governmental groups from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Under the funding formula, Health Canada contributed up to 50 percent of the total budget of each project, to a maximum of $500,000. The rest of the costs are shared by project participants and private sector partners. In all, the investment in HISP amounts to $22 million, including Government of Canada contributions totalling $8.8 million. The program ends in December 2000 and the results of all projects will be published on the Internet. For more information, please visit the OHIH website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/ehealth-esante/index_e.html Map
Nursing Knowledge Online, Ottawa (Ontario) Map
Cancer Care in Newfoundland, St. John's (Newfoundland)
Knowledge ManagementNursing Knowledge OnlineNursing isn't just about treatment; it's about caring. And that's why nurses are committed to adopting new knowledge and information, as well as finding better ways to meet the needs of their patients. One way to improve patient care is to make sure nurses have access to the best medical research and the most up-to-date information about good clinical practices. Now, with a HISP grant, the Canadian Nurses Association is building an "integrated knowledge management system" for registered nurses. Whether they work in hospitals, clinics or other settings, nurses will have online access to data information and research findings, which can influence policy, be applied to nursing practise, support evidence-based decision-making, and contribute to education and research. HISP funding: $500,000
ContactMs. Mary Ellen Jeans
ContactDr. Kevin Forward PartnersCanadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases Understanding Infectious DiseaseIn North America, the eradication of smallpox and polio are among the successes of modern medical science. And, thanks to comprehensive vaccination programs, child-hood diseases including measles, rubella and whooping cough are no longer prevalent. Even so, we remain vulnerable to other disease agents -- from HIV to the influenza virus -- which can be transmitted among humans. While doctors, researchers and other health care workers look for ways to prevent, diagnose and treat communicable diseases, patients are searching for their own sources of information. Increasingly, people are turning to the Internet, which boasts an astonishing volume of medical information. But how reliable is it? Using HISP funding, the Canadian Infectious Disease Society wants to make certain that consumers and health professionals have access to the best and latest knowledge about communicable diseases. That is why the Society is creating a comprehensive bilingual web site, which will serve as Canada's premier source of timely and credible information on infectious diseases. It's true that science can't yet cure the common cold, let alone deadly diseases like AIDS. But a well-educated populace can do a lot to control microbial menaces of all kinds. HISP funding: $67,000
Virtual Health Library for NewfoundlandBut for people in that province, the problem lies in finding the right resources. There is no central access point or clearinghouse to help consumers get the information they need when they need it. The solution, advanced by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information, lies in harnessing the power of the Internet. In collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Centre is using a HISP grant to build a virtual provincial health library and information service. With links to national agencies and initiatives, this online service will help guide the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to the resources in their communities. To complement this new system, the Centre will also develop an electronic database and print directory of consumer health associations and other sources of health information. HISP funding: $40,250
ContactMs. Lucy McDonald PartnersNewfoundland & Labrador Centre for Health Information
ContactMr. Pat Peterson Raising Awareness of RubellaRubella, also known as German measles, is a relatively mild disease that feels like a bout of the flu. But when a pregnant woman contracts the virus, it can cause grave damage -- including deafness and blindness -- in the developing infant. The Canadian Deaf/ Blind Association is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of rubella in pregnancy, with the long-term goal of preventing infection. The association also helps the families of babies born with the combined disability, who tend to be isolated from a world they cannot see or hear. Some devices, including enhanced keyboards, Braille pads, and auditory screen readers are already available to help deaf/ blind children communicate and learn. Still, many deaf/ blind rubella families find they need additional technical and human support to raise their children. The association is therefore using a HISP grant to develop an interactive Internet web site geared specifically for families of deaf/ blind children. In addition to providing information about the condition, the main aim of the site is to link such families together. The Association hopes to facilitate communication between deaf/ blind individuals as well as their families and interveners via the Internet and to conduct awareness and prevention programs. This gives both children and their parents a chance to communicate with others, and to learn from their experiences. And it offers all of them comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone. HISP funding: $95,000
Online Personal Support TrainingAs more and more Canadians choose to be cared for in their own homes, the health care sector is working to ensure that families have the support they need to look after a recovering, sick or even dying patient. The Visiting Homemakers Association (VHA) Training and Education Centre in Ottawa, for instance, teaches people to work in the homecare sector as Personal Support Workers. Trainees enrolled in the program learn to bathe patients, prepare nourishing foods, clean, and generally provide any necessary help for homecare patients and their families. With the growing demand for such skilled workers, the private vocational school is turning to computers to help deliver its curriculum. In particular, interactive, web-based technology is allowing VHA to extend its reach to distance learners outside the city. Unfortunately, however, some of the very people who would naturally benefit from the program are uncomfortable with the technology. The Centre is therefore applying HISP funding to develop ways to familiarize its students with computer-assisted learning. HISP funding: $156,500
ContactMs. Roberta Hildebrand
ContactDr. Harvey Skinner PartnersHospital for Sick Children, Toronto Talking to Teens OnlineEven though teenagers today have access to a wealth of information about healthy lifestyles, a large and growing proportion of them continue to smoke, have unsafe sex, and engage in other risky behaviours. So if reams of information and dire warnings don't have the desired effect, what will? According to professors at the University of Toronto, the key is to speak to youth in their own language, and through media that interest and engage them. Today that means interactive technologies like the Web. With the help of HISP funding, the university is establishing an online "virtual" health clinic for teens. The interactive web site, developed in part by youth, provides self-directed learning about important, if sensitive, health issues such as sexuality, contraception, eating disorders and suicide. The clinic will provide teenagers with tools for making effective use of technology like the Internet, to explore options and make decisions regarding their health. It will also help teenagers recognize when and how to contact health professionals and community resources, such as self-help groups. HISP funding: $167,700
Nutrition Information OnlineWe all know that a balanced and nutritious diet contributes to our energy level and overall sense of well-being. And now, scientists tell us that healthy eating also plays an important role in warding off chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, brittle bones, diabetes and obesity. But as the saying goes, there's many a slip from cup to lip. Canadians, even if they realize the importance of nutritious foods, often encounter real obstacles to healthy eating. Some, for instance, can't afford a good selection of fresh foods, or live in remote areas where supplies are limited. The Ontario Food Security and Nutrition Network has launched a partnership project to increase collaboration, communication, and information and resource sharing among organizations concerned about food security in Ontario. The network brings together the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) Food Security Working Group, the Ryerson Centre for Studies in Food Security, the Toronto Food Policy Council and FoodShare Metro Toronto. The Network is looking at ways to ensure the province's consumers have access to affordable, safe and nutritious foods, and is also striving to educate consumers about eating patterns that promote health and protect against disease. Funding under HISP is enabling the association to build an electronic network to link its many partner organizations. By means of a new web site, the groups will be better able to exchange information and collaborate on the common mission of improving the diets of the people of Ontario. HISP funding: $59,838
ContactMs. Fiona Knight PartnersRyerson Centre for Studies in Food Security
ContactDr. Beverly McEwen Network for Food SafetyCanadians have confidence in the safety of their food supply. Government regulators ensure that food is produced, processed, packaged and marketed according to stringent quality standards. Even so, incidents of food-borne disease do occur. Local public health authorities collect data about the source of the problem and the impact on consumers, and the information is fed into the appropriate databanks. Scientists at the Animal Health Laboratory and the Food Microbiology Laboratory of the University of Guelph note, however, that governments, universities and service agencies often collect their own data independently. They believe that if those databases were linked, health officials would be able to act more quickly in the face of a threat to the food supply. Determining relationships between the occurrence of human disease and the presence of infectious agents in animals or food is crucial to timely, appropriate and successful intervention. The University is therefore using HISP funding to create a new network in collaboration with Health Canada, that will integrate human health, animal health and food safety data. This network will be an integral part of the Canadian Integrated Public Health Surveillance (CIPHS). Health researchers could also use the larger pool of combined information to discern patterns that could warn of potential problems, thus preventing future outbreaks. What's more, the data could shed light on such important issues as antibiotic resistance in farm animals. HISP funding: $375,222
Emerging Risk NetworkEver since Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring in 1962, people have recognized that unhealthy or declining animal populations can be early warnings of threats to human health and the environment. At the Centre for Coastal Health of the Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo, B. C., scientists believe that observing the condition of animals and their natural environments could provide valuable insights into the future of human health. The researchers want to know whether ecological changes that are found to imperil animals could also signal that humans are being harmed. Clearly, collecting this kind of data involves many scientists and naturalists. At the same time, many environmentalists, public health officials and advocates would benefit from the accumulated findings. The Centre is therefore building an electronic information and communication network that would link all the interested parties. Known as the Animal Emerging Risk Network, the web-based system would encourage the gathering of animal observations, which could be synthesized, analysed and interpreted to reveal patterns, trends or warnings signals. This information would also be disseminated in a timely and efficient manner, so that authorities could be alerted to potential hazards before the public's health is endangered. HISP funding: $99,300
ContactDr. Craig Stephen PartnersMax Bell Foundation
ContactMr. Layton T. Engwer PartnersBritish Columbia Ministry of Health Infectious Disease SurveillanceBetween them, the Government of Canada and the province of British Columbia operate several surveillance systems to monitor the incidence of communicable diseases and warn of potential outbreaks. Information and communications technologies are now providing a way to link these systems, in order to better serve the public. HISP funds are being used to integrate three separate infectious disease surveillance initiatives, and to make the data available to public health officials. Because the data will be accessible online, authorities will be able to respond to possible health threats in a more timely and effective manner. The project is being developed and managed by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Society. The Society already maintains the Public Health Information System, which enables B. C. health authorities to keep track of the management of infectious diseases, adverse reactions and immunization records. The Society will link this information system to two Health Canada surveillance databases. One is the Internet-based Health Information System, set up by Medical Services Branch to serve the public health needs of Aboriginal communities. The second, called the Canadian Integrated Public Health Surveillance project and managed by the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, links a national network of labs and their data on reportable diseases. HISP funding: $499,800
Community Health Representatives OnlineCommunity Health Representatives, or CHRs, live and work in First Nations and Metis communities throughout Canada. They play a major role as educators, promoting good health and preventing injury and disease. What's more, as Aboriginal people themselves, they can help bridge any cultural gaps between health care professionals and their communities. The challenge for CHRs, especially those in remote or isolated areas, is to maintain and upgrade their skills. The Portage College is therefore using information and communications technologies to build networks among CHRs, and to link them to sources of culturally sensitive health information. The college is using HISP funds to develop an online communications, information and education program for CHRs. The goal is to increase their effectiveness, status and credibility in their communities by ensuring they have meaningful outside contacts, professional support and personal enrichment. HISP funding: $79,992
ContactMs. Jacqueline Demarre PartnersCHR Association of Alberta
ContactDr. Robert Hayward PartnersAlberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Centres for Health EvidenceA few centuries ago, scholars thought it was possible to learn everything there was to know in the world. Today, the Information Age has taught us that we barely know where to begin. The University of Alberta, however, is lending a helping hand. It is developing a new technological tool that will help organize the dazzling wealth of medical information available today from commercial, institutional, government and academic sources. Known as the Centres for Health Evidence, this HISP-funded project will package existing health knowledge, and make it more useful for a variety of users, including hospital-based doctors and other health providers. In particular, the CHE will evaluate, index and summarize significant resources. It will also advise users on the quality of the information, and how it could apply to the specific needs of patients, practitioners or settings. In addition to providing simple and consistent access to health resources, the CHE system can also be customized. Over time, in response to the particular information needs of each user, the software tailors a personal approach to educational resources, tips and surveys. HISP funding: $495,654.45
National Diabetes SurveillanceDiabetes is a large and growing public health challenge. A chronic condition with serious complications such as heart disease and stroke, blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputations and neurological problem, it is also the seventh leading cause of death in Canada. It is estimated that about 1.6 million Canadians are affected by diabetes, although as many as half of them may be undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. Overall, Aboriginal people are three times more likely than other Canadians to fall victim to the disease. Recent national surveys suggest that the prevalence of diabetes is on the rise. However, public health officials believe that, armed with comprehensive and continuous data, they would be better able to identify and manage the disease. Toward that end, the Department of Public Health Science of the University of Alberta in Edmonton is testing a proposed National Diabetes Surveillance System. It is planning to build the national system on an existing medical database infrastructure that has developed in the three Prairie provinces -- Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. While health data submitted by each province will vary, the 18-month, HISP-funded project will attempt to standardize the information, so as to make it easier for researchers to compare the diabetes rates in different provinces and populations. This, in turn, will help public health authorities develop targeted programs and services to combat this chronic condition. Whether the surveillance system involves three provinces or, eventually, all of them, it is expected that processing standardized data through a central site will lead to better diabetes understanding and control. HISP funding: $140,000
ContactDr. Tom Noseworthy PartnersAlberta Health
ContactDr. Leslie L. Roos PartnersWinnipeg Hospital Authority Online Health Research Concept DictionaryThe Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation has developed a web-based tool to bring greater order to the wealth of research literature. The HISP-sponsored tool, known as a Concept Dictionary, is intended primarily to help health care analysts and researchers use information resources more efficiently. In particular, it is designed to prevent cases where different scholars examine the same data, and come up with conflicting interpretations. The dictionary offers consistent and standardized descriptions of concepts commonly used in population-based health research, such as "continuity of care," "mental health disease classification," and "income quintile." But more than mere definitions, the dictionary also provides precise uses for each term, including nationally or internationally accepted amounts, ranges, percentages or other quantifiers. In addition to the list of defined concepts, the dictionary also includes powerful search engines that can help users find concepts that have not yet been indexed. The goal is to minimize confusion and spare researchers from reinventing the wheel. HISP funding: $75,000
First Nations Health Information OnlineFor First Nations and Inuit peoples, health is more than the absence of disease. It is a holistic concept that encompasses physical, social, emotional and spiritual well-being. Health is also a broad notion, involving the family and the community, not only the individual. Health workers with the North Shore Tribal Council near Cutler, Ont., believe that a well-informed Aboriginal community can tend to its own healing and well-being. They believe, moreover, that advanced information and communications technologies can help serve the community's need for information. The Council has therefore launched a HISP-funded project that will lead to the development of a regional health information system. This network will be known as Web Nosh Kun, which in Ojibwa means "help it move faster." It will collect and make available information on health and social services being provided through the First Nations community, as well as other regional programs within northwestern Ontario. The project will also encourage the use of the Internet as an information resource, and train health care workers in the use of information technologies. Over the longer term, it is expected that the accumulated base of knowledge will help shape health care policies in the Aboriginal community. HISP funding: $112,319
ContactMs. Fern Assinewe PartnersNorth Shore Tribal Council Members First Nations
ContactDr. Ross A. Davies PartnersCanadian Cardiovascular Society Canadian Cardiovascular DatabaseCardiovascular disease is Canada's number one cause of death and disability. Because of the disabling effects of heart attacks, strokes and related coronary conditions, cardiovascular disease has a significant social and economic impact on society. To deal with this, Canadians need good information. With the help of HISP funds, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control of Health Canada and IBM are working together on the beginning stages of a Canada-wide data base on cardiovascular disease. This initiative has already led to creation of the Canadian Cardiovascular Information Network (CCIN), a coalition of health care organizations, government agencies and database owners committed to sharing information so that they can improve patient care, use of resources and research. Under the HISP pilot project, the network is addressing the issue of waiting lists for coronary revascularization, a surgical procedure to augment the blood supply to the heart. This information is being collected from databases in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. In the next phase, the plan is to link all 50 cardiac centres in Canada, to look at questions such as the results of patient care, and to include other heart conditions such as congenital heart disease. HISP funding: $222,842
TelemedicineCancer Care in NewfoundlandWhen people are diagnosed with cancer, their chances of survival or recovery are influenced by fast access to treatment and the support of friends and family. But until 1995, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador had no chemotherapy services from medical oncologists. There were no standard chemotherapy guidelines either. While the services have now been established, there is still a need to improve patient access to them. In particular, the goal is to ensure people receive care rapidly and as close to their home communities as possible, and benefit from chemotherapy treatment using the most up-to-date information and according to national standards. With those objectives in mind, the Newfoundland Cancer Treatment and Research Centre is using a HISP grant to create a systemic chemotherapy program and prop network that connects to the province's eight health regions. A practice guideline for practioners will be established along with partners such as provincial health departments and jurisdictions, to approve the utilization of all chemotherapy drugs. Using electronic links, chemotherapy specialists in St. John's will be able to guide health professionals in the regions as they determine and administer the best course of treatment for their patients. That way, cancer patients, even in remote communities, will benefit from the expert care available to people in the capital. And, surrounded by family, friends and a familiar environment, their quality of life will surely improve. HISP funding:$ 285,658
ContactDr. Shou Ching Tang
ContactDr. Judy S. Caines PartnersNova Scotia Department of Health Breast Cancer ScreeningMany studies have shown that early detection and treatment of breast cancer helps to improve a woman's chances of survival. Sadly, however, a minority of women who should be screened actually receive regular mammograms. The Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program in Halifax's Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre has therefore taken a direct and active approach to ensuring women are contacted and encouraged to receive mammograms on a routine basis. With HISP funding, the Program has created a single centralized mammography booking service. With links to other screening services across the province, this service will attempt to ensure that no eligible women are missed for routine mammography or necessary diagnostic procedures. Closer ties with the Nova Scotia Gynecological Cancer Screening Program will also be established. The comprehensive new data base will also allow health experts to document trends in breast cancer screening and care, with the hope that this information will translate into improved treatment outcomes in the future. HISP funding: $123,710
Prostate Cancer CareCanada's aging population, combined with better screening methods, have made prostate cancer the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer among men. Because the tumour grows slowly patients have many options from aggressive local therapy (radiation or surgery) to observation alone for this disease. Faced with this uncertainty in the research community, patients and physicians are often unsure how to proceed after a diagnosis. Urologists at Nova Scotia's Dalhousie University have therefore concluded that everyone -- patients, practitioners and researchers -- would benefit from a better exchange of knowledge about the disease and its treatment. HISP funding has allowed the urology professors to develop an interactive Internet web site that gives Canadians access to the best, latest and most complete knowledge about prostate cancer. With contributions from urologists, patients and cancer agencies, the site explains in simple terms the causes and symptoms of the disease, as well as treatments options and outcomes. In addition, the web site includes a special personalized questionnaire, designed to help patients make the difficult decisions on the right therapy for them. HISP funding: $57,810
ContactDr. David G. Bell
ContactDr. John Sampalis Canadian Trauma RegistryFrom falls on icy sidewalks to automobile collisions, accidents cause serious injury to about 220,000 Canadians every year. Indeed, injuries are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 45, and a major source of pain and disability for older Canadians. And yet, Canada has no central trauma database that could keep track of injuries, and provide valuable information on their cause, frequency, impact and other important patterns. Experts at the Montreal General Hospital Research Institute, however, believe that a single repository for complete and credible trauma information could help prevent more accidents, and improve the health system's capacity to treat injured patients. The Institute is therefore using HISP funding to create an interactive computer-based network that will allow policy-makers, researchers, health care administrators and health professionals to track major injuries, and evaluate trauma care in Canada. A key component of the project will be the development of a Canadian Trauma Registry. The registry will be of unparalleled benefit to Canada's health care system because, until now, Canadians have had to rely on trauma data collected in the United States. HISP funding: $441,899
Cancer RegistryThe Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR), the largest in Canada, is connected to 100 pathology labs that process tumour specimens. These labs send over 70,000 paper pathology reports annually to the OCR. Now, however, with the aid of HISP funding, these documents will progressively be sent in electronic form through the creation of an electronic database, called the PIMS (Pathology Information Management System). Six labs are part of the pilot phase to test PIMS that will improve the timeliness, completeness and quality of the reporting of surgical, cytological and hematological and hematology specimens. The intent is to implement this system province-wide over the next 2-3 years. For health administrators, researchers and clinicians, a computerized system will result in a growing body of timely province-wide cancer statistics. Over the longer term, these will provide invaluable insights into treatment options and outcomes. HISP funding: $363,750
ContactMs. Darlene Dale PartnersInscyte Corporation
ContactMr. Guy Paterson PartnersNorthern Telehealth Consortium Virtual Clinics in Northern SaskatchewanOne of the earliest successful applications of telehealth technology can be found in First Nations communities in remote and rural parts of northern Saskatchewan. For some time now, people in six health districts have been linked by video technology to health providers at specialist centres in Saskatoon. Now, thanks to an injection of HISP funds, the Northern Telehealth Network is expanding to encompass more services. At the cutting edge of distance health care, it is now possible to transmit digital X-ray images and ultrasound from a regional or community health centre to a radiologist in a big-city hospital. Sophisticated and secure video technology is also used to hold "virtual clinics," in which patients can be seen by specialists in the South. As well, the long-distance technology is of immense benefit for doctors and nurses, who often work alone in isolated communities. These health professionals can consult medical experts, and keep their skills up-to-date, by participating in "virtual rounds" at major hospitals. HISP funding: $489,700
StrokeNetEvery week, about 1,000 Canadians succumb to strokes. Sadly, strokes occur so fast, and with such devastating impact on the brain tissue, that the majority of victims either die or suffer lasting disability. Specialists now believe, however that more can be done to save the lives, and the quality of life, of stroke sufferers. Provided they receive prompt and appropriate care that is based on the best and latest neurological research, one in 10 patients could be given a meaningful second chance. Unfortunately, neurologists at Edmonton's University of Alberta note that most Canadians don't live close enough to major hospitals to benefit from timely stroke interventions. Doctors are therefore using technology to extend high-calibre, organized stroke care to people who live in more remote and rural communities. HISP funds are being applied to a pilot project aimed at supporting practitioners working in two regions of Alberta and British Columbia. When a stroke patient arrives at a hospital or clinic, physicians use a clinical decision support system which speeds them through appropriate decisions with supporting content provided by an international faculty of stroke experts. Through this network, called StrokeNet, rural doctors will be able to obtain clinical information tailored to the particular needs of the patient. They'll also be guided through the many tough decisions involved in assessing a patient's best options, because the network offers timely access to the latest international medical literature. HISP funding: $247,500
ContactDr. Andrew Penn PartnersAmerican Academy of Neurology
ContactMs. Brenda Langevin Teleradiology in Rural AlbertaAbout three hours' drive northwest of Edmonton, the Keeweetinok Lakes Regional Health Authority serves about 25,000 people in a vast, culturally diverse and sparsely populated area. But despite their isolation, these rural Alberta residents have access to some very sophisticated medical services. HISP funding has put this community at the forefront of teleradiology -- the transmission of ultrasound images to diagnostic specialists in faraway centres. Under the current arrangements, pregnant women or patients requiring imaging of internal organs can have an ultrasound taken at the public health centres in either High Prairie or Slave Lake. The ultrasound equipment is mobile, and can move between the two communities. The digital images may then be transmitted instantly over satellite communications links, or stored and sent later. Hospital radiologists in Edmonton and Calgary review the images and communicate their assessments back to physicians in the Keeweetinok Lakes region. Depending on the outcome of this pioneering project, similar distance technologies may also be applied to other uses. For example, digitized X-ray images could also be transmitted via teleradiology, to help diagnose a broader variety of medical conditions. The equipment can also be used as a video-conferencing tool, enabling health providers in remote areas to consult with medical specialists in major urban centres. HISP funding: $400,000
TelehomecareHomecare for the Terminally IllMany factors figure in to a decision on where a terminally ill person will die, but access to palliative care should not stand in the way of patients who choose to die at home. These patients have just the same right to pain relief and high-quality care and support as people in institutions. On Prince Edward Island, the West Prince Health Authority believes that information and communications technologies can help deliver hospice care to people dying at home, even in rural or remote communities. Using HISP funding, the Authority is buying simple video-conferencing equipment that allows health professionals at a central nursing station to monitor the condition of terminally ill patients in their own homes. Typically, a public health worker or family member is at the bedside to help deliver the expert's advice, interventions and support to the patient. Known as the West Prince Telehospice project, this initiative recognizes that allowing terminally ill people to die at home, peacefully and free of pain, should not be isolating for either the patient or the family. HISP funding: $126,522
ContactMr. John Martin PartnersVeterans Affairs Canada
ContactMs. June Hooper PartnersInstitute of Biomedical Engineering Connections for AmputeesAmputees today have access to a range of prosthetic devices that help them recover some of the mobility they once enjoyed. Even so, many amputees -- especially growing children -- find frequent readjustments are necessary to keep the prosthesis fitting comfortably. For patients outside major cities, this can pose a problem. That's why the New Brunswick Easter Seal March of Dimes society received HISP funding to bring prosthetic patients, no matter where they live in the province, in "virtual" contact with the people who can tend to their artificial limbs. So that people in rural and remote communities don't have to travel, the organization is taking advantage of the province's advanced telecommunications capability to create three-way video connections between patients, health care professionals and prosthesis technicians. This innovative approach, which carries audio and video signals across the Internet, lets patients get help whenever they develop a problem -- without having to leave their own communities. HISP funding: $125,168
Homecare for DiabeticsDiabetes is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases in Canada, affecting as many as 1.6 million people. In Aboriginal communities, the condition is three or more times commoner than in the rest of Canadian society. While diabetes can often be well controlled by proper diet and medication, serious complications, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, limb amputations and early death, may arise over the long-term. Keeping diabetics healthy therefore requires regular monitoring and care. But for people unable to make frequent visits to the doctor, the next best solution lies in learning to take proper care of themselves at home. With HISP funding, St. Elizabeth Health Care in Markham, Ont., is using video-conferencing technology to bring medical expertise into the homes of diabetics. This easy-to-use equipment, which transmits conversations over the Internet, lets diabetics learn how to monitor their condition and manage their own care -- all under the supervision of trained health care providers. HISP funding: $449,600
ContactMs. Shirlee Sharkey PartnersStentor Innovation Centre
ContactDr. Vania Jimenez PartnersEducov Inc. Diabetics OnlineThe discovery of insulin has saved the lives of countless diabetics. Even so, diabetes is a serious chronic condition that can cause debilitating complications. Because there is no cure, treatment focusses on control and management. For most diabetics, the emphasis is on nutrition, exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Managing diabetes is therefore a lifelong challenge that requires considerable knowledge and personal commitment on the part of the patient. In that context, health care providers play an indispensable role in guiding diabetics towards a long and healthy life. To facilitate the flow of knowledge, advice and support between diabetics and their health care providers, McGill University's Department of Family Medicine has developed a new online information program for diabetics in Montreal's Côte des Neiges district. Personalized for each participant, the McGill project differs from other Internet-based systems in its use of "Web TV." This technology, carried over regular cable television by way of a special key pad and set-top box, means that even patients without home computers can participate in the pilot project. HISP funding: $500,000
Telehomecare for ChildrenA baby needs heart surgery, but is still too young and small for the operation. It needs constant monitoring by health care professionals, but is not sick enough to be in hospital full-time. What is the best way to care for this infant? According to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, the answer lies in a type of enhanced homecare made possible by advanced telecommunications technologies. HISP funding is allowing the hospital to create a specialized telecommunications network, designed specifically for patients with intermediate care needs. Parents assist in intermittently monitoring their child's heart rate, respiration rate and blood oxygen levels at home. This information is regularly and automatically transmitted to a nurse at a 24-hour monitoring centre in the hospital. This arrangement ensures that children can be cared for in the familiar and loving surroundings of home, while their health status is closely monitored by trained health professionals. About half of the youngsters enrolled in this project are under the age of one, and many of them are heart patients. HISP funding: $409,406
ContactDr. Paul Dick PartnersHospital for Sick Children Foundation
ContactDr. Brent T. Friesen Health Directory OnlineCalgary and the surrounding region of Alberta have so many health and social services that a properly indexed and cross-referenced directory would run to some 600 pages. Now, to make it easier for people to find the right service, the Calgary Regional Health Authority is using HISP funding to develop an online directory, accessible by means of a user-friendly Internet web site. The directory will list doctors and other health professionals, along with the region's complete array of publicly funded health and social services. Aimed at consumers, service providers and planners, the directory will feature powerful search engines to make the information as accessible as possible. HISP funding: $250,000
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