Off to HIMSS in Atlanta

If its spring it must be HIMSS. This annual event gathers the world health IT experts together in one place for the preeminent health information management trade show. This year the host city is Atlanta, the jewel of the south, hot-lanta. I can’t wait to experience this city and all it has to offer.

Sav and Whale Shark in Galapagos

On Saturday, Feb 27th we arrive in Atlanta and begin our trip with a visit to the Georgia Aquarium, the largest in North America. Between 3:30 and 4 pm we experience the aquarium from the inside out. Scuba tanks go on for a swim with the Gentle Giants; Whale Sharks, the largest fish of the oceans. Don’t worry they don’t bite; they are filter feeders eating mainly plankton. This is a wonderful experience, if you can - watch for us on the Georgia Aquarium webcam. Or even better if you are in Atlanta come and see us at the Aquarium.

On Sunday, I’ll be presenting at the Health IT Venture Fair. While not officially part of HIMSS it takes please as a precursor to the show. Sponsored and organized by Blank-Rome of Philadelphia and Howard Burke this event showcases innovative companies that are seeking venture capital, partners and growth opportunities. Over 30 venture capital firms participate to get a jump start on the trade show exhibitors.

Sunday evening the Canadian Trade Commissionaires are hosting a dinner for Canadian companies to meet with US companies. This match making helps Canadian companies doing business or planning to do business in the US to find partnerships.

Come visit Us at HIMSS Booth 1407

The official HIMSS start is Monday, the exhibits open at 12:30 and until 5:30 we will be at Booth 1407, meeting with interested organizations looking for health IT solutions. Another HIMSS tradition is the Canadian reception that brings together all the Canadian exhibitors and Canadian attendees. This is always a rousing event with cross-Canadian representation and Canadian beer, BC and Atlantic salmon, perhaps even Alberta beef.

The Consulate General breakfast on Tuesday is another excellent networking and educational event. With trade commissionaires from across the US doing their best to promote the Canadian companies at HIMSS.

From 10:30 am to 5:30 we can be found on the exhibition floor at Booth 1407.

After the HIMSS reception on Tuesday night, it’s off to the Woodfire Grill an Atlanta hotspot for dinner prepared by award winning Top Chef Kevin Gillespie.

co-Owner and Executive Chef Kevin Gillespie

A relaxing evening is planned with BBQ ribs and friends to raise a glass.

That leaves the last day of HIMSS with the exhibit floor going from 10:30 to 5:30. In the evening a spirited HIMSS reception bringing us full circle as we return to our starting point at the Georgia Aquarium. Unfortunately, this time they wouldn’t let us go for a swim, I asked.

New Years eHealth proposal

From 1997 to 2001 I experienced first hand the shortcomings of the Canadian healthcare system. Over this period my family saw the death of three close relatives. We experienced the fragmentation of the Ontario health care system. From community hospital to academic health sciences centre, private homecare and nursing care, cancer care centers and palliative care, each doctor and hospital maintained a health record, yet none had access to the information from the previous location. Blood work done one day would be repeated because the lab results were not shared between providers. New specialists would conduct the same interview done the previous day or just the same morning in a different clinic. The only full health record was what we, as a family, maintained. It kept us involved in the care process and we were able to inform new clinical staff with the details from previous visits saving time and money for us and the healthcare system. We were not the first family to experience nor the last, others have expressed similar frustration with medical records.

My background is not medical. My experience is in information technology. For two decades I worked in the financial sector developing software for banks, trust companies and credit unions. In the late nineties I deployed financial solutions, supported document scanning and presentment for cheque recognition and bill payment on the internet. The financial sector has benefited greatly from technology advancement, greater efficiency and performances. With my experience in IT and the eye-opening experience of the fragment healthcare system it was apparent that health information exchange could be and should be improved.

In 2001, with a strong team of developers we began the process of creating an eHealth solution. The Clarity Healthcare Framework was the starting point.

Clarity Healthcare Solution

Over this previous decade we deployed electronic form applications to collect patient assessments. These are used to measure quality of care in hospitals. The ultimate goal, to create a personal health application that would allow patients and their families to keep and monitor all the health details, a life-time health record. The Clarity Health Journal focuses on the patient and their family to help them manage and monitor their health.

There are challenges to maintaining a full and complete health record. You can start and keep your own information easily enough. You can maintain a blog or a website with the details of your diet, exercise and even medication, but what do you do about doctors’ notes, lab results or hospital visit details?

Health information exchange can be used to improve the overall health delivery. Easier access to health records means better quality health. Each doctor, hospital and clinic maintains health record for the patient, only the family maintains a fully holistic view of the personal health information.

Health Information Gap

While we do online banking and use ATMs around the world to withdraw cash from our bank accounts, pay bills with Paypal and other online services our health information is locked up in a filing cabinet someplace. We can’t access those records. Our caregivers have access to the record they created, but we have no way to access them or share them with family and friends involved in our care. Even when permission is granted to a spouse, partner or adult children; doctors or hospital administrators can still refuse access or prevent flow of some information needed for your care. 2010 needs to be the year we take control of our health information.

These days most patients have access to the internet in some form. Digital cameras, scanners and fax machines can be found in many homes. Larger percentages of patients have cellphones and computers. Technology is no longer a barrier for patients and their family. Still many doctors’ offices and hospitals still maintain paper records and written notes.

Back in 2001, I started a family history using a family tree maker software. Online I found resources that included ship manifest of 18th century that had been scanned, OCRed, categorized into a database. Old paper records hand written using quill pens are now indexed and searchable online. You can expect hospitals and doctors’ records could be as advanced as genealogy software makers. Technology can offer a solution to making paper health records available online very easily.

Ontario eHealth can easily offer a service to scan all health records and categorize the data for patients. The process doesn’t have to be a mega project. Each hospital can maintain a scanner to OCR records into a database. When a patient arrives for a new visit, if they already have a paper record the history can be scanned. New visit details would be collected electronically online. Within a very short period of time all patients health records would be online. Doctors offices could either scanner records internally or send out the records to a services bureau. Within 2 or 3 years a majority, if not all, records would be online. The resulting database would have both the images of the paper records plus the categories details of the electronic data. It would be indexed and searchable and could be made available to patients and their families to use.

The personal health record can then be enhanced with the individuals own data. Once online the patient and their family uses and share this info wherever they are, with doctors, hospitals and clinics. A truly universal healthcare system is possible.

H1N1 Vaccination

Since the time of Louis Pasteur there have been detractors of vaccines. Misinformation from seemingly reliable sources against vaccination has cost countless lives. Science is not often definitive and this ambiguity is used to raise doubt in some individuals predisposed to disbelieve.

Should you take the H1N1 vaccine? Many people who don’t get the annual flu shot are already saying they won’t. Otherwise normally intelligent parents who have failed to vaccinate their children will also avoid the H1N1 flu shot. We leave many such decisions to individuals, and for minors to their parents.

H1N1 Vaccine

I am not a medical professional and not qualified to make recommendations to anyone. I will follow my own conscience and listen to the counsel of who I believe to be trusted sources. Where each of us gets our information and how we use it is as unique as our own own decision making capabilities. What I know of H1N1 and the flu shot is limited, having seen people who have it or suspect the have it makes me concerned.

What has been reported is the older people born before 1950 are more likely to have antibodies that will help protect them from H1N1. The consensus of health professionals is that this virus is more likely to infect young adults. Women and more specifically pregnant women are most at risk of infection. The reported mortality rate of H1N1 varies from 1% to 4%; and while it is still young people who are at risk, children with preexisting conditions; diabetes and neurological conditions have higher mortality. Again consider that this high risk is both in the catching the virus and in mortality; once a person has the virus, as with any flu, how you deal with it and how your body reacts will determine the outcome.

My personal fear of H1N1 is how closely it seems to resemble the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. This flu killed millions over several years. This virus mutated and became less viral over the years; it is likely one of the reasons why people born before 1950 have antibodies that may help fend off the current mutation; H1N1 previously called swine flu.

This week Ontario begins Flu shots for citizens. The US has been vaccinating people for several weeks now and has already seen shortages. I expect governments will do all they can to get vaccines for everyone who wants one. Individuals will have to make up their own minds on if they will get this years flu shot. I will.

Would you wear a bullet-proof vest as a policemen entering potential dangerous situation? Would you wear a gas mask as a firemen entering a smoking building? Wear gloves, put a hard hat on when entering a construction site? The flu shot, in my opinion is the same. If you are offered protect why would your refuse it? Of course the choice is your own.

Clarity Health Journal

Clarity Health Journal is a powerful communications tool that will improve the dialogue with your health-care providers, whether you’re managing a condition that requires continuous monitoring or even if you see your doctor only once a year.

Easy to Use; The Clarity Health Journal allows you to manage your care.

Easy to Learn; You can access links on relevant health information.

Easy to share; Allowing you grand access to doctors and other care providers.

Who is Clarity Health Journal for; This allows you and your family to take control of your health.

Clarity Health Journal

Personal Health

We all have to take care of ourselves first. When on an airplane the flight attendant tells you “when the air mask appears put your air mask on first before assisting other passengers”. If you can’t help yourself how can you assist others?

www.clarityhealthjournal.com is a new product that was created to allow people to keep track of their health. A personal health journal that gives the individual control of their own infomation. They can share the information with their care providers, with family members and others who share contitions and details.

Make notes, record lab results, monitor contitions, note events and record contacts all in one place. Produce reports and take information with you, when you travel or move.

Without your health you have very little. Keep your health and then you are better able to help others.

Manage your diabetes