e-Health -- an unwelcome "Welcome"

A newspaper headline stopped me dead in my tracks about a couple of weeks ago; blazed across the page were the words:

"Whitby hospital welcomes back patients".

The above caught my eye because for me, the words "hospital" and "welcome" give a sense of them being antonymous -- whenever I see/hear the word "welcome" I have a feeling of being happy to be in that particular location or place.

For example, on returning from a vacation abroad, there's a great sense of belonging on hearing the words "welcome back" from the immigration officer -- imagine hearing that at a hospital triage desk!

You'd probably never see me at an open house for a hospital -- that's a place one visits either to help cheer-up patients, or for emergencies -- I just feel uncomfortable being so close to that final resting place -- you know, the one with the "m" word to describe it!

With the utmost respect and understanding due, I realize there are those in our communities with chronic conditions that welcome the availability of additional resources to help them cope, but notwithstanding the latter, I think the above-noted headline suggests it may be time we change the way we think about health care facilities; for example, perhaps we should:

• remove all those signs that seem to be proliferating in our various communities -- emergency personnel are already only too familiar with the location of the appropriate facilities
• replace them with those that direct us to recreation centers

Wouldn't it be wonderful if, while travelling Ontario highways, one would see "10 km to next rec center" as opposed to "Hospital next exit"!

This could help foster a society that places personal health as the top priority using tools such as exercise, EMRs, EHRs and PHRs to maintain their health.

As a friend of mine remarked:

 ..."you never hear someone with an age range of an octogenarian or higher, crediting their local hospital or physician for their longevity -- it's always because of their lifestyle!"

Since we're in election season, I'm wondering if it's time to start thinking of the formation of a Provincial party that has physical fitness as its main platform; I can just imagine one version of the agenda being:

• a substantial reduction in health care expenditures
• a laser-beam focus on electronically linking all our provincial health care facilities
• allowing secure Internet access to patient data
• tax relief for personal physical fitness expenditures 
• an increase in the education budget (particularly that portion pertaining to personal health)

Would you vote for such a party? I'd love to hear from you!

Ernest A. James

President & CEO

Regal Informatics Inc.