IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Canadian Forces is expanding its ability to collect biometric data, such as DNA and scans of people’s irises, in case other federal government departments need to have access to such information and technology, according to documents obtained by the Citizen.

The military has collected hundreds of samples of such biometric information in Afghanistan, mainly from those detained by troops or from individuals who have acted suspiciously.

But in an April 2010 directive issued by then Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk, the military was ordered to expand such capabilities beyond those being detained in Afghanistan.

Weiterlesen: Canadian military expands biometric data collection capacity in anticipation of civilian use

New and constantly evolving technology can help users manage their illnesses and general well-being

A 2010 Statistics Canada survey found 64 out of 100 Canadians age 16 years or older searched the Internet for medical and health related information. Usage in United States is even higher; a 2011 survey found eight out of 10 Americans go online for health and medical reasons. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently estimated 17,828 health and fitness apps and 14,558 medical apps are currently available for mobile phones. These statistics illustrate how modern electronic technologies such as smart phones and tablets, coupled with social media and the Internet, are rapidly changing how the general public is seeking health information and services.

Weiterlesen: CA: Take charge of your health

After Helmut Braun’s wife died, he turned to the Internet to find someone else to play cards with. Before long, like so many Canadian seniors these days, he’d become something of a keyboard wizard. But when Braun had a heart attack last November, the 85-year-old former barber figured he’d played his last online ace. As he lay in frightening pain in an ambulance, the last thing he could have guessed was that he would soon become a cyber-pioneer.

But that’s what happened in the long-term palliative care ward at Baycrest Health Sciences Centre in north Toronto. One day early last summer, a nurse named Maria De Leon popped a computer tablet onto his lap and asked him if he’d mind tapping in answers to 10 basic questions, including the degree of pain that he was feeling, his appetite, his mood and his energy level. Braun still has a lot of zest despite his badly damaged heart, and he was only too happy to get back online, especially if it spared Baycrest staff from filling out the questionnaire on paper. “I’m always happy to save some trees,” he joked.

Weiterlesen: CA: After all the time and money invested, will e-health ever deliver on its promise?

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, and Minister responsible for Shared Services Canada, today launched a roundtable that brings together Government and representatives of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector on a regular basis to help shape the Government of Canada's IT transformation agenda.

"We want to work with the ICT sector to draw on innovative, proven industry solutions as we transform the Government of Canada's technology platform," said Minister Ambrose. "Their input is vital to helping Shared Services Canada develop a more efficient, secure and cost-effective IT infrastructure to serve Canadians."

Weiterlesen: Shared Services Canada Taps into IT Industry Knowledge