Wired for care

Sharing information electronically will help four of the city’s health-care providers cut through red tape, communicate more efficiently and improve patient care, says a spokeswoman for the Canadian Mental Health Association. 

The Integrated Assessment Record, an initiative within Community Care Information Management, launched Monday the second phase of its website, Doorways. The website works by allowing health-care providers to submit patient information electronically that can be shared by other area health-care organizations.

Sharon Pitawanakwat, director of community development and services for the Canadian Mental Health Association, said her organization provided information to the site. The CMHA joins St.Joseph’s Care Group, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Alpha Court Community Mental Health Services and Housing as participating health-care providers.

Pitawanakwat said health-care service providers often work together, but information sharing isn’t always efficient. Each time one organiztions attempts to share information they must fill out consent forms that could take weeks to complete, she said.

The city’s mental health association assists more than 1,000 people and Doorways will eliminate the need for consent forms and speed up information sharing, she said.

"We`ll be receiving information on a more timely basis," Pitawanakwat said Wednesday.
"We`ll be able to co-ordinate our efforts for patient care more effectively and improve continuity of service for clients so they don’t have to wait so long to get information."

Security for the website remained a top priority in its development. A registered user logs into the website with a provided login name and password, then uses a card to decipher a randomized code before gaining full access to the site.

Dan Meraw, project manager of Doorways, said in addition to the login information and code, only health-care providers with a registered IP address with IOA can access the site.

"It isn’t as simple as going to a Starbucks or Tim Hortons and using their Wi-Fi and logging on," Meraw said. "Privacy and security are key in this project. We selected providers based on interest, readiness and patient flow within a specific geographical area."

He added users could only view information.

Ontario’s eHealth provided $1.6 million toward the initiative. The funding provided is part of Ontario’s goal to make medical documents electronic by 2015. The pilot project ends on March 31. After that, participating health-care providers are expected to provide Doorways with feedback in an effort to improve the site, he said.

"We’re making a sustainability plan to see what is going to happen after the pilot project," he said.

The Northwestern Ontario server launched on Monday but the site went live earlier for health-care providers in southern Ontario.