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EmailInfoway’s Partnership Conference took place November 16-17, 2016 during Digital Health week. Its focus, A Conversation on Digital Health, enabled dialogue and networking, while providing a more holistic view of the digital health landscape. The themes emerging from the two days clearly outlined a willingness among advocates to work more collaboratively on solutions, processes and opportunities to support patients in realizing optimal access to health care. Included in this growing alliance is the patient, the clinician, the various groups working toward interoperability at all levels, the provinces, the government and the industry representatives building solutions and systems. Efforts are growing toward solutions that will enable the appropriate, timely and supportive data sharing to advance the needs of the patients as well as the clinicians in health care.
A number of the speakers, panelists and participants rounded out the key learning. Many of the most notable highlights for me included:
- Both empathy and curiosity are essential requirements for innovation to occur. In order to realize these innovative solutions, we must work from the real world environment, appreciating through the patient lens how data are conveyed, accessed and used to support patient care.
- Patient-centred care must be more than words on a plaque. Solutions, processes and access should be designed around the patient.
- Clinician engagement is critical to achieving a patient-centred health care ecosystem. In order to achieve the change required, involve clinicians vs inform.
- Standardization is necessary to ensure data exchange is accessible and bidirectional at all points of care.
- Development and implementation must be integrated directly in the environment where care is provided. The key to success includes initiating small scale approaches, ‘learning' fast such that solutions may be scaled across the country.
Thanks to all of our 2016 Partnership Conference delegates for their active participation as well as our sponsors for their generous support. Looking forward to next year.
For more of the highlights, access many of the recorded sessions, presentations and the program.
Gina DeBenedetti, Group Director, Engagement and Outreach, Clinical Systems Integration, Canada Health Infoway.
