Wanted: made-in-Canada examples of the impact of digital health

Canadians who have benefited from digital health investments are invited to share their personal and professional stories as part of a new initiative that aims to capture the impact that health technology innovations is already having. The initiative also encourages continued innovations that will help to transform health-care.

Digital health, or health IT, refers to using technology to improve the quality of patient care. Examples include connecting a care team with an integrated electronic health record, shortening wait times through online access to clinic information or accessing specialists through telehealth.

The initiative is part of Canada Health Infoway’s ImagineNation Challenges, of which the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer is a proud supporter. Until July 31, 2013, submissions will be accepted in the following three Impact Challenge categories:

• The Patient Impact Challenge invites Canadians to describe, in 250 words or fewer, the impact health IT has had on their experience as a patient or a caregiver.
•  The Career Impact Challenge invites health professionals to describe, in 250 words or fewer, the impact of public investments in digital health have had, directly or indirectly, on their career.
• The Business Impact Challenge invites organizations to describe the impact public investments in digital health have had on their business in 500 words or less.

Up to $18,000 in awards is available across the three categories.

These new challenges follow the Outcomes Challenge, which involved 43 teams from across Canada who logged more than three million uses of health IT.

For more information: http://www.imaginenationchallenge.ca/.