OTN
This is not a paid political advertisement. It has not been authorized by anybody. But it is relevant to the federal election.
Bemoaning the general lack of reference to health care in the campaigning so far, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) recently published an article – Election 2015: Health Issues Primer – about five things that should be on the federal election campaign agenda – but aren’t.
I am pleased to report that telemedicine – and by that, I mean OTN! – is already having an impact on three of the five healthcare issues.
Mental Health
The Mood Disorders Society of Canada... | |
I probably shouldn’t be telling this story.
It starts in 1968. According to (brilliant) researcher, surgeon and writer Atul Gawande, in that year, The Lancet published findings that represent one of the most important medical advances of the last century. It was just this: David R. Nalin and Richard A. Cash, American researchers in Dhaka during a cholera outbreak, added sugar to salt and water hydration and administered it orally to 29 patients. Cholera deaths: zero. Sugar, it seems, helps the gut absorb fluids.
Cholera pandemics killed millions in the nineteenth century. Even after intravenous fluids reduced mortality to 30 per cent in the early years of the twentieth century, globally, most people died, especially in places where... | |
There are some incredible innovators and leaders among Ontario’s healthcare community who have advanced the use of telemedicine in the province. We wanted to take a moment to give them some well-deserved recognition.
The Champions of Telemedicine Award was established to celebrate the outstanding contributions of these leaders within each of the 14 Ontario LHINs, and a leader within Ontario’s aboriginal community. OTN’s front-line staff and community partners nominated individuals for this award, and then Champions were selected based on their achievements in the following areas:
Demonstrates leadership among peers and inspires the adoption of telemedicine in their practice, hospital, program or community to help... | |
In December 2014, The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) reviewed and updated their Telemedicine policy, providing clarity on general expectations for telemedicine and specific expectations for practicing telemedicine across borders. I had the privilege of being part of the working group that developed the policy, along with CPSO Council, staff, and other external experts. For more than a year, the working group met regularly and took an in-depth review of the state of telemedicine around the world, including the positions and policies of other Colleges, provinces, territories, as well as international positions in other countries like the US,... | |
What a year it’s been for Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN)!
With all the hard work, dedication and passion our partners and employees have devoted to delivering innovative telemedicine solutions, it comes to no surprise that telemedicine continues to grow both in scope and adoption. Last year alone, OTN supported more than 390,000 patient consultations, working with 1,300 healthcare organizations and more than 8,000 healthcare providers in 1,748 sites across Ontario. As a result, almost 260 million kilometers of patient travel was avoided. That represents nearly 330 trips to the moon and back!
Telemedicine is truly transforming our healthcare system with a new model of care delivery – one that improves access, increases... | |
What do playing Monopoly, driving a car, and baking cupcakes have in common? They all have rules to be followed. Generally, rules aim to ensure fairness, protect from harm, and instruct on how best to do something.
As a regulatory body, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) maintains a set of rules, in the form of policies, to guide physicians on how best to provide patient care. The CPSO revises these polices from time to time, with input from key stakeholders. This past July and August, the CPSO held a public consultation on draft revisions to its Telemedicine policy.
Given our extensive expertise in telemedicine, OTN submitted a response to this where we proposed changes to the Telemedicine policy that will help... | |
OTN est un organisme indépendant à but
non lucratif, qui est financé par
le Gouvernement de l’Ontario.