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More than 35 workshops, more than 150 displays and five Innovation Award presentations showcased the remarkable creativity, intelligence and drive that distinguishes Ontario’s health-care system.
The diversity of innovations reflect the tremendous accomplishments that are being made in mental health, community care, long-term care, transport, acute care, public health and across all sectors of our health-care system.
By popular request, a Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo online archive is being developed that will include summaries of all the innovations highlighted at the Expo and workshop webcasts.
On April 20th, The Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care presented five Innovation Awards. The Awards were selected by an independent panel of health care leaders from across Ontario and were awarded in recognition of outstanding innovation in five categories.
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Innovation Awards 2006
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Meeting Community Needs Through Integrated Care
Winner : Solutions – East Toronto’s Health Collaborative
Project : Community Referrals by EMS
Solutions is a voluntary network of 15 East Toronto Health Providers that provides a community support option to paramedics when deciding to transport adults to hospital emergency departments of address their immediate needs in their homes.
The program was originally proposed by Toronto EMS to help better connect patients with the services they need directly. Key benefits include better patient care and response and less calls to 911 and emergency visits.
Improving Quality and Patient Safety
Winner : Trillium Health Centre
Project : Evidence Based Order Sets
The Trillium Health Centre team of Dr. Chris O’Connor, Zelia Campos and Katharine De Caire created a pioneering, web-based multi-disciplinary order set system. The benefits are more accurate, improved order sets for health care providers and better patient care and outcomes.
Improving Efficiency Through Process Redesign
Winner : Princess Margaret Hospital
Project : Getting Results: Giving Haematology Patients Access to Their Electronic Health Record
Getting Results is an innovative program that was developed by Dr. David Wiljer, that allows haematology patients to have access to their test results through a personalized, online portal.
The portal also provides information for the patient about what their test results mean and gives direction on follow-up steps and appointments that may be necessary.
The results have been successful in helping patients get test results faster and in empowering them to become an active participant with their health care treatment team. Princess Margaret is now planning to roll the program out into other therapeutic areas.
Innovative Health Information Management
Winner : University of Waterloo and Homewood Research Institute
Project : Ideas for Health
Ideas for Health is a collaborative program of research funded through the Primary Health Care Transition Fund and involves enhancing the use of InterRAI instruments in mental health and primary care. Dr. John Hirdes is the principal investigator for the program.
The program is effective in helping to provide a more effective bridge between primary care and mental health health care services and is helpful in assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment to improve overall patient care.
Preliminary results from Ideas for Health have resulted in international interest from many of North America and the world’s leading medical research experts.
Innovations in Health Human Resources
Winner : Cancer Care Ontario
Project : Building Colorectal Cancer Screening Capacity in Ontario
This pioneering program was created to expand Ontario’s colorectal cancer screening capabilities by training non-physicians (nurses and nurse practioners) to conduct FS (flexible sigmoidoscopy) screening for people who are 50 years+ and have no family history of colorectal disease.
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Ontario – and is second only to lung cancer as a leading cause of death in Ontario.
This program is headed-up by Dr. Linda Rabeneck Regional Vice President, Cancer Care Ontario and Vice President, Regional Cancer Services, Sunnybrook Women’s College Hospital.
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