Alex Binkley

When Dianne Beattie talks about the digital imaging hospital information network she oversees, her focus isn't on the IT equipment but on the improvement in health care delivery. Beattie is the CIO for St. Joseph's Health Care and the London Health Sciences Centre, two teaching hospitals that play key roles in the functioning of the Southwest Ontario Digital Imaging Network Project. She discusses how digital imaging and collaboration are changing the face of Ontario's health care system.

Building public trust in government was the topic of a recent symposium in Ottawa. The Ponemon Institute's founder, Larry Ponemon, offers some research-backed recommendations as to how to build and maintain citizen trust.

The Information Technology Association of Canada has launched an ongoing

The Information Technology Association of Canada will launch an ongoing "structured dialogue" between the Ontario government and IT industry in a bid bridge the gap between health care professionals and IT suppliers to better understand each other's needs and capabilities, officials said.

The federal and provincial governments are also collaborating on ways that IT can cut the waiting for many services such as cancer treatment and hip replacement. Canada Health Infoway says IT could make booking health care as easy as ordering airline tickets. Wanted: Workable ways to reduce wait-times.

In electronic health care services, the use of personal information can be both critical and highly controversial. Michael Power, new chief privacy and security officer for Ontario's e-health system, feels like he's landed at ground zero in the debate over information technology and privacy protection.

The progress in e-health delivery during the past few years puts Canada in a promising position, says a vision paper prepared by Canada Health Infoway Inc. The paper suggests several goals beyond the rollout of a national EHR system, including better disease management and cancer care systems, enhanced pandemic and public health services, more extensive remote care and shorter wait-times.

The Smart Systems for Health Agency has announced an agreement to use broadband network infrastructure from Hydro One Telecom as the new core for its province-wide system, which hospitals and health clinics can plug into for sharing information electronically. The agency says the new system should both improve health care and help to better protect patient information privacy.