Health Telematics Unit Global e-Health Research and Training Program The Alberta SuperNet – Impact...

Health Telematics UnitGlobal e-Health Research and Training Program

The Alberta SuperNet – Impact on Health Services Delivery

Dr. Penny Jennett – Principle Investigator

Co-Investigators: Dr. M. Yeo, Dr. R. Scottwww.ucalgary.ca/telehealth

American Telemedicine Association 2004 Annual Meeting & Exposition

Tampa, Florida May 2-5, 2004

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Overview

BackgroundPurposeMethodsResults Impact Readiness

ChallengesConclusions Next Steps

4700 linkages

422 communities

Federally funded

Multi-sectored

14 multi-disciplinary researchers from 4 universities

Broadband – ISPs - 10 times dial-up - 560 kb

What is the Alberta SuperNet?

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BackgroundEight sub-projects

1. Public consultation

2. Distance learning

3. Disaster emergency

4. Health

5. Discrete choice

6. Virtual clusters

7. In home/community

8. Libraries

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Purpose

To determine the Key Informant views of: Healthcare organizations/care sites (e.g. CEOs,

administrators); Healthcare practitioners (e.g. physicians,

nurses, rehabilitation therapists); and Consumers (e.g. Patients/clients, public)

on the impact of the SuperNet as a transmission mode for e-health applications/solutions.

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Questions

What is the perceived or actual impact of using the SuperNet to deliver health services?How will the delivery of health services affect the status quo?How ready are the various stakeholder groups to use the SuperNet?What indicators can be used to measure the impact of the SuperNet?How might the delivery of health services via the SuperNet affect patient safety and confidentiality?How do project findings impact the various strategic policy levels?

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MethodSelection of Participants

Key Informants Representative sample of 14 key health sector informants

was selected from the participating communities, in consultation with the Provincial Telehealth Director.

6 organizational/administrators4 health care providers2 patients/consumers2 provincial telehealth program

All 14 key informants selected were interviewed (100%

response rate)

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Results

Impact (Positive and Negative) on:Usual Care

Current Telehealth Services

Readiness

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ResultsImpact on Usual Care

Positive: Provide greater access to care, particularly for elderly

and physically disabled. Improve the quality of care; timeliness of care; and

appropriateness of care. Better use of resources; more appropriate use

hospital beds and providers of care. Capacity building for rural health care providers. Provide greater continuity of care from tertiary level

facilities to care in rural communities.

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Results Impact on Usual Care (Cont’d)

Negative: Fear that providers and services will be lost in rural

communities. Disruption of patient-provider relationship / Impersonal. Change in processes and way healthcare is delivered. Pushing the system harder at both provider and

community ends. Rural communities caring for more acute patients. Redundancy will need to be built into the system.

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Results (cont’d)Impact on Current Telehealth Services

Positive : Possible to reach Alberta Communities that could not

be reached before, via telehealth. Increase in telehealth consultations. Higher bandwidth will make more, higher quality, e-

health services available. Increased flexibility will facilitate the use of telehealth

as a tool in clinical practice. Sharing of diagnostic information will be immediate. Can be cost-effective if done within context of all other

IT requirements.

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Results (cont’d)Impact Current Telehealth Services

Negative: Telehealth services currently in place are ISDN and will require

transition to IP. Need for infrastructure changes – gateways, gatekeepers,

bridges, etc. requires significant up front planning in collaboration with IT/IS.

Going to have to learn to do things differently. If telehealth, via IP is not reliable, could impact patient

outcomes, and telehealth services negatively. Privacy and confidentiality issues, particularly with wireless and

EHRs. Lack of experience with providing telehealth via the SuperNet.

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Results (Cont’d)Readiness to Use SuperNet (n=14)

Group Not Ready

Partially Ready

Ready Uncertain

Organizations/ Senior Administrators

3

(20%)

8

(53%)

2

(13%)

1

(7%)

Health Care Providers

4

(27%)

5

(33%)

4

(27%)

1

(7%)

Patients/Public 4

(27%)

8

(53%)

2

(13%)

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Challenges

Informed Awareness Costs

SustainabilityBusiness Case

Technical Infrastructure

ReliabilityGateway; bridge;

interface Security/Privacy

People Staffing Education Support Readiness

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Conclusions

Converging high capacity Internet health services with usual and current telehealth services has both positive and negative implications, including potential socio-economic impact (e.g. capacity building, and more efficient use of resources) across several levels.Key Informants have varied views as to the state of readiness.

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Next Steps

NEXT STEPS: Triangulation of results: household telephone

interviews, town halls, symposium, and health questionnaire results

Dissemination of e-Health Sector Sub-Project findings.

Integration of findings of e-health sub-project with other sub-projects.

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Summary

BackgroundPurposeMethodsResults Impact Readiness

ChallengesConclusions Next Steps

Health Telematics UnitGlobal e-Health Research and Training Program

Thank You!

Dr. Penny Jennett

jennett@ucalgary.ca

Health Telematics UnitGlobal e-Health Research and Training Program

www.ucalgary.ca/telehealth