A new peer-to-peer network has been created across the province to assist health professionals who are learning to use the e-health technology.
The electronic health records need to be available everywhere from a clinic in a small northern community to a hospital in a major urban centre and everywhere in between.
Carol Gregoryk, vice-president of integrated health services for the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region, is one of the people working to prepare doctors, nurses and pharmacists for the new technology.
"We need to be able to form go-to people that can help them bring things together and introduce new technologies that come along," Gregoryk said.
The network is made up of a group of people who became involved with the electronic health record system early and continue to promote it.
"The union of technology and the human touch is one of the challenges in heath care today. We are pleased to offer this opportunity to healthcare providers to share best practices and build new knowledge," said Health Minister Don McMorris in a press release.
Gregoryk became involved approximately three years ago as part of the national effort. She, along with a handful of other people from the region, travelled to Ontario to learn how to be peer support for people using electronic medical and health records.
"Now, were getting much closer to bringing all the pieces together electronically and meeting (Wednesday) to decide what next year's plan is as far as being peer support for doctors nurses and pharmacists," Gregoryk said.
It has taken longer for Saskatchewan to roll out the program because of technology that has to be in place.
"It still is not out in all the communities - the whole geographical piece needed to be more in place ... for us to be able to really be a provincial health record," she said.
When in place, the technologies will allow medical professionals to have a complete knowledge on their patients from public-health information to a pharmaceutical profile.
"So you can have accurate care," Gregoryk said.
Gregoryk uses the example of someone entering an integrated health centre in search of treatment for a cut. The person on staff would be able to access past health records, thereby knowing the last tetanus shot the patient received and acceptable antibiotics if the need was there.
Pineland Home Care in Prince Albert is completely electronic and staff are glad to be able to use the system.
"We use it all the time. We even take with us to assessments," said Olga Allen, one of the Care Coordinators.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Angela Hill
Quelle/Source: Prince Albert Daily Herald, 04.12.2008
