From patients booking medical appointments online to pathologists using e-tools to record and report cancer test results, there have been more than one million uses of electronic solutions reported as part of the ongoing ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge, announced Jennifer Zelmer, Senior Vice President, Clinical Adoption and Innovation, Canada Health Infoway (Infoway).

The primary objective of the Outcomes Challenge is to accelerate the use and spread of innovative information and communication technology solutions, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the improvement of health care quality and the patient experience in Canada. Infoway is offering one million dollars in awards to teams whose solutions are used most and those with the strongest growth in users from January 2012 to March 2013.

"Innovative solutions like those being used by the 29 Challenge teams reflect what Canadians have told us they want: improvements in the patient experience, access to care, quality and efficiency in our health system," said Zelmer. "The Challenge was launched to accelerate the use and growth of these solutions for the benefit of patients, clinicians and the health care system as a whole, and it's encouraging to reach this milestone so quickly."

"With our patient health portal, we've seen how innovation can help patients play a more active role in self managing their health, and ultimately receive better care," said Challenge participant Dave Sellers, Director of Operations at West Carleton Family Health Team. "It's exciting to see that so many patients across the country are benefitting from these technologies and getting more involved in managing their own health."

To qualify for the Challenge, teams are required to have a working solution in one of four categories: e-Scheduling, Patient Access to Health Information, Medication Reconciliation, and Clinical Synoptic Reporting. Examples of uses of these solutions include:

• A patient scheduling an appointment with a regulated health care professional such as a physician, dentist, massage therapist or naturopath online or using a mobile device.
• A patient or caregiver using a computer or mobile device to securely access their health information, such as lab results or immunization history.
• A clinician reducing the risk of adverse drug events by using an electronic tool to verify and communicate accurate and comprehensive medication information across transitions of care.
• A clinician using an electronic template that embeds the latest clinical evidence, to record key information about a patient's care, helping to ensure consistent and complete communication among all the members of the health care team.

Additional information on the Challenge including how to join, Challenge team profiles and videos, and educational resources are available at www.imagineNationchallenge.ca.

Supporting Organizations

The following Canadian health care organizations are working with Infoway to help shape the Challenge by providing expert advice, encouraging participation, promoting the Challenge and participating in the judging panel:

• Accreditation Canada
• Association of Canadian Academic Healthcare Organizations
• COACH: Canada's Health Informatics Association
• Canadian Dental Association
• Canadian Home Care Association
• Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
• Canadian Patient Safety Institute
• Health Action Lobby
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices
• Patients' Association of Canada
• Patients for Patient Safety Canada
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

About Canada Health Infoway

Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Infoway jointly invests with every province and territory to accelerate the development and adoption of information and communications technology projects in Canada. Fully respecting patient confidentiality, these secure systems will provide clinicians and patients with the information they need to better support safe care decisions and manage their own health. Accessing this vital information quickly will help foster a more modern and sustainable health care system for all Canadians.

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