Just imagine -- going to work on a beautiful day then suddenly, out of the blue, you're entangled in a mass of twisted metal -- you've just been involved in an accident and between the lapses into/regaining of un/consciousness, all you can hear is the screaming of sirens and the jarring of metal as emergency personnel work feverishly to separate you from your vehicle. Finally, you're lying on a stretcher in the middle of the highway as ambulance technicians try to get your attention to ascertain what allergies you may have etc., but you just wanna sleep because although the pain is crushing, everything seems so surreal.
Far-fetched? You may be forgiven for thinking that way, but the above scenario plays out many times per week on the roads here in Ontario; of course there are many other types of emergencies, but if one were to happen to you, wouldn't you like to know there's a system in place whereby emergency personnel can access your medical records almost instantly using your vehicle license plate or identification on your person or in your bag and the Internet? Proper treatment could then be administered asap.
Well folks, such a system is imminent, whether we're aware of it/whether we agree with it, or not; architecturally it comprises of the system your health provider(s) keep(s) in the office (an Electronic Medical Record -- EMR) and the part that's managed by the Province (an Electronic Health Record -- EHR).
Together, the EMR/EHR will soon become an integral part of the life of each person in Ontario in an effort to make health care in the Province (and eventually throughout Canada) more efficient, both from a cost and quality perspective.
Hello, I'm Ernest James, President/CEO of Regal Informatics Inc., a nascent company in Whitby, Ontario. We're passionate about the potential of EMR/EHR systems and you're invited on a journey (blog-wise) to educate ourselves and those we come in contact with (family, friends, health providers etc.) to help bring about the best health care possible in Canada, one community at a time.
I'm gonna let you mull this over (between bites of turkey and your favourite beverage) then come back at you early in the new year to continue the journey -- there's so much to discuss, for example (but not limited to):
* what started all this -- a personal perspective
* a basic intro to the EMR/EHR
* implementation time frames
* what our friends in the US are doing/potential impact on Canadians
* security
* who pays for what
* functionality
* concerns
* what role you can play
In the meantime, feel free to say your piece (by clicking on "comments" below) and bring others into the discussion.
So until next time, Seasons Greetings and watch how you go.
Ernest A. James
