IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Myanmar has a recent history of bloodshed and one of the worst human rights records in the world. It's also in the process of developing e-government.

The "government" -- or militia junta that rules Myanmar by force -- is rolling out seven e-government pilot projects.

Clinicians (physicians, nurses and pharmacists) from nine provinces came together on September 15 to launch the Clinician eHealth Support Network: A peer-to-peer initiative, a group of health care providers who will provide hands-on support to colleagues in their respective jurisdictions to help them address challenges and uncover the opportunities and efficiencies that are associated with e-health.

Legislation paving the way for the collection and sharing of electronic health records will lead to potential patient privacy breaches, say groups opposed to the Bill which will soon get second reading in the B.C. legislature.

The B.C. government has made a $150 million commitment to electronic health records and has already spent three years planning the implementation which will not take full effect for about four years.

The provincial government committed $13 million last year to provide broadband access to the 10 per cent of New Brunswickers who didn't already have it.

Premier Shawn Graham says the project is on track to wrap up two months ahead of schedule.

Health Minister Mary Schryer said the provincial government has created the technology that will make it possible for health-care providers to switch to a 'one patient, one record' model, but staff must be trained to use the system and protocols and policies have to be created before the program is ready to launch.

Family practitioners and medical facilities create and maintain patient files for each person who visits them for care.

A colleague recently sent me a report by McKinsey that touches on the topic. "Fostering the Economic and Social Benefits of ICT," is a chapter in a 2010 report published by the World Economic Forum. In addition to highlighting ICT's share of global GDP in 2008 (5.4 per cent) and a projection for GDP share in 2020 (8.7 per cent), the report looks at the role ICT plays in improving education, healthcare and government services.

And while larger municipalities in the province are keeping up with the Jones' of the municipal world, there are vast differences in how smaller ones -- especially villages -- are coping with websites, let alone the new trends.

"Generally Canadians are not aware of the project by the government of Canada to adopt the new passport, nor do they know exactly what the passport consists of," a survey released by Passport Canada indicated.

But the idea of the microchip-equipped passport, which offers a choice of validity of five or 10 years, "experienced significant support," the survey said.

"I am pleased to welcome Newfoundland and Labrador as the newest partner in the BizPaL initiative," said the Honourable Diane Ablonczy, federal Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, federal Minister of Industry. "Small businesses are a major engine of our economy, and this is why the government's economic plan, Advantage Canada, seeks to create an entrepreneurial environment by providing easy access to essential information, reducing paperwork costs for business and helping to provide an environment for small business to grow and succeed."

Superlatives slid off Gerald Alexander's tongue Wednesday as the cancer patient described the health initiative that allows him to consult with an oncologist in St. John's from Burin some 300 kilometres away.

While Canada has invested more than $1.6 billion in federal funds to develop integrated electronic health records, only 37% of general practitioners use electronic records compared with 97% in New Zealand and 95% in Australia.

Fifty-six remote communities across Northwest Territories and Nunavut will soon benefit from enhanced broadband access, which will improve community sustainability in Canada's North.

The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, along with Darrell Ohokannoak, Chairman of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corp (NBDC), and Darrell Beaulieu, President and CEO of Falcon Communications GP Ltd, today announced federal support of $36,415,295 for the expansion of broadband access across communities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (NWT) in Canada's North.

During its first year of operation, HealthLink 811 handled just over 100,000 calls. The free service provides callers with access to registered nurses around the clock. The nurses can answer general health questions, advise patients to head to the nearest emergency room or refer them to the province's 911 system.

Now, thanks to the Nova Scotia Telehealth Network, the MacLellans Brook resident can receive relief and check-ups from her dermatologist here at home.

“Instead of driving to Halifax for five minutes, it’s unbelievable – not only the cost, but the time,” she says.

The province has a deadline of the end of 2009 for service across the province, but says service will become available to subscribers as the infrastructure is put in place.

An update of progress on the Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative explains that the wireless signal backbone will be built first, using existing towers.

Since 2008, the territory's Health Department has been working on moving health centres and hospitals across the territory away from paper medical records and into an electronic system.

Early parts of the system are expected to roll out in the new year. But it will take five to 10 years before Nunavut's health records are completely digital, officials say.

“The young people are excited about it,” said Western James Bay Telecom Network president Leo Friday. “In the evening, kids are chatting to each other through Facebook. A lot of news came out of it. Where I live in Moose Factory, I check it sometimes – I know what is going on in Moose Factory and in Attawapiskat. It’s faster than Wawatay.”

Friday said health services would be improved with the completion of the new fibre optic and wireless Western James Bay Telecom Network, officially launched Feb. 23 with the symbolic splicing of a fibre optic cable to connect the three communities of Kashechewan, Fort Albany and Attawapiskat to each other and the World Wide Web.

Canada's health-care system needs to embrace the idea that people can get personal health information from Facebook, text messages and Wikipedia-like sites, so they won't block up hospital ERs and doctors' offices with their questions, says a Toronto doctor and information technologies expert.

The health system today is unsustainable, and will get worse as a wave of aging baby boomers, burned-out caregivers and obese children start knocking on hospital doors, says Dr. Alejandro Jadad, founder of the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, who is speaking Thursday night at a public lecture in Edmonton.