OHA, e-HEALTH and ACCREDITATION
The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is a voluntary association founded in 1924. It is an independent, non-profit organization which represents the needs and views of all hospitals (public and private) in Ontario to the government, others organizations and to the public.
The OHA provides education, consulting and direct service programs to over 150 health-care organization members, including Ontario's hospitals. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 21 members including the President and CEO (Anthony Dale). Many of the directors are also on the Board of Trustees of a public hospital in Ontario which, the OHA claims, is a reflection of its commitment to strong community representation. The OHA’s staff includes consultants specializing in a wide range of hospital services as well as others experienced in business and law.
OHA's Mission, Vision and Values can be found here (and also on page 8 of the Strategic Plan).
Read more about OHA's Goals of Advancing an Integrated Health System, Realizing Quality, and Delivering Value in the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan.
E-Health
E-Health is used as a broad term to describe a consumer or patient-centered model of health care in which stakeholders work together to utilize Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), including the Internet to manage individual health, and to arrange, deliver, account for patient care and manage the health care system.
E-Health Leadership
Many Ontario health organizations are working together to provide a better health care experience through the use of technologies. They include hospitals, Cancer Care Ontario, Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs - more information on these next week!), OntarioMD, Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres (OACCAC), the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and eHealth Ontario. Canada Health Infoway is also involved to help share information from other provinces and territories. Together, they provide leadership to the health system on the strategic advancement of integrated e-Health as an enabler of patient access to timely, safe and high quality care.
Proposed benefits of e-Health for the healthcare system include: better planning and population health management, enhanced coordination among LHINs, improved clinical and corporate communication among regions and LHINs, reduced costs across the system, reduced liability and improved fiscal accountability through greater predictability of health care expenditures.
Benefits to the patient include: patient or consumer-centred wellness programs for higher awareness and self health management, increased accessibility via the Internet to health care services (reducing the need for long distance travel), improved patient safety (e.g. fewer medication errors) and the ability to attract highly skilled professionals from other parts of the world.
eHealth Ontario
Not without its problems, eHealth Ontario is a government initiative that has managed to develop an eHealth strategy. It has developed a governance framework to coordinate and integrate new information technology (IT) and health strategies to provide a secure way to share information and communicate with healthcare professionals. eHealth Ontario's key initiatives are to build the capacity of the healthcare system and to create a foundation for the full implementation of an electronic health record in areas including: Diagnostic Imaging Program, Drug Profile Viewer, Ontario Lab Information System, Physician eHealth and Regional Integration of health information (removal of "silos").
Accreditation
Accreditation, as a general term, is a process that provides an opportunity for hospitals and other organizations (e.g. Fanshawe College Pharmacy Technician program) to assess their areas of weakness and strength. Its purpose is to encourage voluntary attainment of uniformly high standards of performance and to allow for organizations to make improvements as needed. Accreditation demonstrates to public that an organization has met certain standards of safety, competence and credibility.
Accreditation Canada
Accreditation Canada is a national, non-profit, independent organization that accredits over 1,100 health care and social service organizations. The program helps to improve client outcomes and health systems performance with a focus on safety and efficacy in specific areas of health and wellness. Accreditation Canada fosters quality through an on-going cycle involving a 2 part process. The process requires the organization to complete a Self-Assessment which is then followed up with an on-site Peer Review completed by qualified surveyors AND it provides a written report measured against national standards indicating areas that are sufficient and deficient.
The program developed and used by Accreditation Canada to asses health care facilities is named Qmentum standing for Quality and Momentum. In it, they identify 6 Required Organizational Practices (ROPs) that are assessed including: Safety Culture, Communication, Medication Use, Work life/Workforce, Infection Control and Risk Assessment. Details of the ROPs can be found here.
CHECKPOINT Question TWO: Visit the Accreditation Canada AccrediMap and search for accredited health and social organizations in the city of London. How can you use this information in your future job search? or your personal life?
The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is a voluntary association founded in 1924. It is an independent, non-profit organization which represents the needs and views of all hospitals (public and private) in Ontario to the government, others organizations and to the public.
The OHA provides education, consulting and direct service programs to over 150 health-care organization members, including Ontario's hospitals. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 21 members including the President and CEO (Anthony Dale). Many of the directors are also on the Board of Trustees of a public hospital in Ontario which, the OHA claims, is a reflection of its commitment to strong community representation. The OHA’s staff includes consultants specializing in a wide range of hospital services as well as others experienced in business and law.
OHA's Mission, Vision and Values can be found here (and also on page 8 of the Strategic Plan).
Read more about OHA's Goals of Advancing an Integrated Health System, Realizing Quality, and Delivering Value in the 2013-2016 Strategic Plan.
E-Health
E-Health is used as a broad term to describe a consumer or patient-centered model of health care in which stakeholders work together to utilize Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), including the Internet to manage individual health, and to arrange, deliver, account for patient care and manage the health care system.
E-Health Leadership
Many Ontario health organizations are working together to provide a better health care experience through the use of technologies. They include hospitals, Cancer Care Ontario, Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs - more information on these next week!), OntarioMD, Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres (OACCAC), the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and eHealth Ontario. Canada Health Infoway is also involved to help share information from other provinces and territories. Together, they provide leadership to the health system on the strategic advancement of integrated e-Health as an enabler of patient access to timely, safe and high quality care.
Proposed benefits of e-Health for the healthcare system include: better planning and population health management, enhanced coordination among LHINs, improved clinical and corporate communication among regions and LHINs, reduced costs across the system, reduced liability and improved fiscal accountability through greater predictability of health care expenditures.
Benefits to the patient include: patient or consumer-centred wellness programs for higher awareness and self health management, increased accessibility via the Internet to health care services (reducing the need for long distance travel), improved patient safety (e.g. fewer medication errors) and the ability to attract highly skilled professionals from other parts of the world.
eHealth Ontario
Not without its problems, eHealth Ontario is a government initiative that has managed to develop an eHealth strategy. It has developed a governance framework to coordinate and integrate new information technology (IT) and health strategies to provide a secure way to share information and communicate with healthcare professionals. eHealth Ontario's key initiatives are to build the capacity of the healthcare system and to create a foundation for the full implementation of an electronic health record in areas including: Diagnostic Imaging Program, Drug Profile Viewer, Ontario Lab Information System, Physician eHealth and Regional Integration of health information (removal of "silos").
Accreditation
Accreditation, as a general term, is a process that provides an opportunity for hospitals and other organizations (e.g. Fanshawe College Pharmacy Technician program) to assess their areas of weakness and strength. Its purpose is to encourage voluntary attainment of uniformly high standards of performance and to allow for organizations to make improvements as needed. Accreditation demonstrates to public that an organization has met certain standards of safety, competence and credibility.
Accreditation Canada
Accreditation Canada is a national, non-profit, independent organization that accredits over 1,100 health care and social service organizations. The program helps to improve client outcomes and health systems performance with a focus on safety and efficacy in specific areas of health and wellness. Accreditation Canada fosters quality through an on-going cycle involving a 2 part process. The process requires the organization to complete a Self-Assessment which is then followed up with an on-site Peer Review completed by qualified surveyors AND it provides a written report measured against national standards indicating areas that are sufficient and deficient.
The program developed and used by Accreditation Canada to asses health care facilities is named Qmentum standing for Quality and Momentum. In it, they identify 6 Required Organizational Practices (ROPs) that are assessed including: Safety Culture, Communication, Medication Use, Work life/Workforce, Infection Control and Risk Assessment. Details of the ROPs can be found here.
CHECKPOINT Question TWO: Visit the Accreditation Canada AccrediMap and search for accredited health and social organizations in the city of London. How can you use this information in your future job search? or your personal life?