Telehealth in BC: From Vision to Action First Nations Technology Council Annual Conference February 24 2006.

Telehealth in BC: Telehealth in BC: From Vision to From Vision to ActionActionFirst Nations Technology CouncilFirst Nations Technology Council

Annual ConferenceAnnual ConferenceFebruary 24 2006February 24 2006

What is Telehealth?What is Telehealth?

The use of advanced telecommunications The use of advanced telecommunications technologies to exchange health technologies to exchange health information and provide health care information and provide health care services across the services across the geographicgeographic, time, , time, social and culturalsocial and cultural barriers. barriers.

(Canadian Society of Telehealth 2001)(Canadian Society of Telehealth 2001)

Continuum of Telehealth Continuum of Telehealth ApplicationsApplications

Internet-Based Decision Support

Mobile/FixedDecisionSupportDevice

Store &ForwardData orImage

Tele-phone Advice

Video-Confer-ence Clinical Encounter

GroupVideoEncounter

RoboticSurgery

Asynchronous Real Time

No Person-To-PersonContact

No Face-toFaceContact

DistanceEncounter

BC Telehealth Planning BC Telehealth Planning Project FocusProject Focus

Video-enhanced clinical and professional Video-enhanced clinical and professional education encounterseducation encounters

In particular in small, remote and isolated In particular in small, remote and isolated communities Telehealth can improve and communities Telehealth can improve and enhance access to services and support enhance access to services and support local service providers and clientslocal service providers and clients

Many of the most remote and under-Many of the most remote and under-serviced communities are First Nationsserviced communities are First Nations

Planning to create a comprehensive Planning to create a comprehensive telehealth telehealth systemsystem requires a requires a partnershippartnership of all key players – First of all key players – First Nations, federal government, province.Nations, federal government, province.

First Nations PartnersFirst Nations Partners

Heiltsuk Nation – VCHA

Sto:lo Nation – FHA

Nisga’a – Nisga’a

Carrier Sekani Family Services – NHA

Three Corners Health Services – IHA

Inter Tribal Health Authority - VIHA

Mandated FN Health Organizations

Serving isolated communities

Serving or linked to more than one community

Telehealth “ready”

Planning ProcessPlanning ProcessReview MoH &

HA Service priorities

Report to theReport to the

Provincial TelehealthProvincial Telehealth

Steering CommitteeSteering Committee

UndertakeLiteratureReview

AssessNeedsAnd

Readiness

Inter-operabilityChallenges

NeededInvestment

Streams

Fact Finding

Convergence

AssessCurrent &Needed

connectivity

Vision for Telehealth in Vision for Telehealth in BCBC

a single and interoperable telehealth a single and interoperable telehealth system that uses information and system that uses information and communications technologies to enable communications technologies to enable health services to be delivered province health services to be delivered province wide to a single standard where wide to a single standard where excellence is the defining factor excellence is the defining factor regardless of distance and geography.regardless of distance and geography.

Core MessagesCore Messages We need to create a comprehensive, coherent We need to create a comprehensive, coherent

telehealth system in BC. This requires partnershiptelehealth system in BC. This requires partnership A common services platform provides the base on A common services platform provides the base on

which to construct, coordinate and expand all which to construct, coordinate and expand all telehealth servicestelehealth services

Investments in connectivity and capitalization will Investments in connectivity and capitalization will ensure quality of service across all points of the ensure quality of service across all points of the networknetwork

Investments in capacity building will ensure Investments in capacity building will ensure people are ready, willing and able to make the people are ready, willing and able to make the most of telehealth opportunitiesmost of telehealth opportunities

Investments in continuous quality improvement Investments in continuous quality improvement will ensure the telehealth system is efficient and will ensure the telehealth system is efficient and effective in meeting priority needseffective in meeting priority needs

ProjectsProjectsCommon Services Common Services BC Telehealth Reference Material BC Telehealth Reference Material BC Telehealth Communications Project BC Telehealth Communications Project BC Telehealth Scheduling Service Project BC Telehealth Scheduling Service Project Telehealth Network Infrastructure Readiness Telehealth Network Infrastructure Readiness

AuditAudit

Connectivity and Capitalization Connectivity and Capitalization Telehealth Assets InventoryTelehealth Assets Inventory FNTPP End Point Integration Test BedFNTPP End Point Integration Test Bed

ProjectsProjectsCapacity BuildingCapacity Building Telehealth Migration Specialist – First NationsTelehealth Migration Specialist – First Nations Telehealth Migration Specialist – Health Telehealth Migration Specialist – Health

AuthoritiesAuthorities First Nations Coordination for Telehealth First Nations Coordination for Telehealth

Training and Health Education ProgrammingTraining and Health Education Programming First Nations Coordination of the Aboriginal First Nations Coordination of the Aboriginal

Telehealth Planning Partnership TableTelehealth Planning Partnership Table Clinical Engagement InitiativeClinical Engagement Initiative Clinical Program Development FundClinical Program Development Fund

ProjectsProjects

Continuous ImprovementContinuous Improvement Development of Measurement Development of Measurement

Framework and Capacity with First Framework and Capacity with First Nations Partners and Health Authorities Nations Partners and Health Authorities

Telehealth Evaluation and Knowledge Telehealth Evaluation and Knowledge Mobilisation FundMobilisation Fund

First Nations Coordination for Continuous First Nations Coordination for Continuous ImprovementImprovement

ConclusionConclusion

Opportunity to reach out to all communities Opportunity to reach out to all communities with a system that will ensure access to with a system that will ensure access to health and health care services and health and health care services and provide the network backbone for many provide the network backbone for many other initiatives.other initiatives.

I welcome your questions I welcome your questions and comments.and comments.