Blog: Infoway Connects

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Simon Hagens

In 2014 Infoway published “Understanding the Gap Between Desire for and Use of Consumer Health Solutions.” This analysis revealed that while eight in 10 Canadians wanted access to their personal health information, only four per cent had accessed it electronically.^[1]

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Michael Green

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Much of the world’s attention since we began the new decade has been focused on the identification and spread of the Coronavirus, now known as COVID-19. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet declared it a global pandemic, the virus has been labeled a Public Health Emergency of International Concern since January and scientists from across the globe are tracking the virus and trying to predict what will happen next.

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Ian Lording

Communication is key for any team. This is especially true in health care, where siloed services and a fragmented system can make it difficult to provide efficient care. One solution is e-prescribing, which transmits information seamlessly between prescribers and pharmacists. Recently, I was fortunate to speak with pharmacist Peter Namis and family physician Dr. Mohamed Alarakhia about their experiences with PrescribeIT^®, Canada’s national, not-for-profit e-prescribing service.

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Katie Bryski

According to a recent study, nearly nine in 10 Canadians consult the internet for health information.^[1] Unfortunately, “Dr. Google” isn’t always a trustworthy source. False and misleading information can put people at risk, sometimes with far-reaching consequences.

Posted by Michael Green on February 4, 2020 

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Canadians want better access to health care and services and they are keen to go online, from their mobile phones or other devices, to view lab test results and other personal health information. They also want to use e-services that make health care more convenient, such as e-booking of appointments and virtual visits with their doctors. Canadians who have this kind of access feel more in control of their health and better able to manage their conditions.

Posted by Katie Bryski and Ellie Yu on January 27, 2020

How involved are you in making decisions and taking action to improve your health and wellness? How confident do you feel navigating the health system?

Posted by Tanya Achilles on January 20, 2020

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Both here in Canada and south of the border people are grappling with the cascading effects that opioids are having on individuals, health systems, social services and more. Families and governments alike are seeking accountability for the crisis in which we’re living and ways to move forward to address this crisis.

Posted by Dr. Jason Wasserman on January 8, 2020

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Have you ever received a pathology report from your doctor and wondered what everything meant? Did you go home and Google the medical terms? Were you frustrated that you couldn’t find what you were looking for, or that everything seemed to be intended for Americans? Now there’s an easier, safer, more reliable way to learn about your diagnosis, and the information is written by Canadians for Canadians.

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Krista Balenko

Telehomecare is enabling more Canadians to receive care at home, transforming the patient experience and helping to improve their quality of life by avoiding hospital stays and trips to the emergency department. It has also saved a significant amount of money for health systems across the country.

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Dr. Rashaad Bhyat

The past several decades have seen tremendous advances in medical care. As a society, we often celebrate these results and applaud how innovation has improved our health and our lives overall. But what is often overlooked are the unintended — and often unnoticed — consequences of these advancements.

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Seema Nayani 

This blog post builds upon a conversation with pharmacist Abhay Patel during our PrescribeIT^® panel webinar on March 28, 2019.

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Ellie Yu

In our previous post, we discussed the expansion of Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone and the demographics of its users. Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone is available across Canada. In just one year, there have been more than 140,000 texting conversations with young people across the country and more than 10 active rescues and lives saved every day.

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Rashaad Bhyat and Katie Bryski

When it comes to health, little things can catch us by surprise.

During a recent chat, my colleague Katie related, “I was hiking last summer when I cut myself on dirty metal. Just a random accident, my hand hit a railing wrong.”

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Ellie Yu

Over the past few years, Infoway has been investing in the expansion of Kids Help Phone services to young people in Canada. Kids Help Phone is the only 24/7, national support service in Canada that offers professional counselling, information and referrals, and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French. A young person who needs mental health support can reach Kids Help Phone by phone, text, mobile app or through a website, whenever they want, however they want.

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Krista Balenko

Canadians with mental health issues are struggling to navigate the health system and often don’t know where to begin, resulting in trips to hospital emergency departments or, sadly, doing nothing at all. There is also still a stigma associated with having a mental illness that makes it difficult for them to reach out for help.

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Mario Voltolina

Do you regularly fill out quizzes or subscribe to apps that track and collect details about your health or wellness habits? If so, you’ve likely clicked “agree” without actually reading what you are agreeing to — and you are not alone.

Posted on September 24 by Dr. Steven Reynolds

I’ve been a practising physician for 10 years and, as a clinician, I’ve always understood the importance of giving patients access to their health information. A recent experience helped me see things from the patient’s point of view, making me even more convinced that we have to break down the barriers that block access.

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Bobby Gheorghiu & Chad Leaver

In our previous post we highlighted a leading insight from the 2018 Canadian Physician Survey where 92 per cent of family physicians who use six to nine EMR functionalities stated that they ‘provide more efficient health care with electronic records.’ It has been a general assumption that physicians will integrate advanced EMR functionalities to support patient care as their years of experience using an EMR increases. Beyond just improving practice efficiencies, evidence has also highlighted clinician, patient and system value of using multiple EMR functionalities to support patient care, suggesting that advancing meaningful EMR use is a key catalyst to realizing value-based outcomes.

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Bobby Gheorghiu & Chad Leaver

Physicians are extremely busy. That’s why it’s important to identify solutions that can increase efficiency. One such solution is meaningful use of electronic medical records (EMR) — physicians that use more advanced functionalities in their EMR report greater efficiencies.