Thank you, Minister. Ms. DeLancey.
Debates of Dec. 12th, 2011
This is page numbers 123 - 158 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was work.
Topics
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Debbie Delancey
Thank you, Madam Chair. The electronic medical record, to try to put it in plain language, is something that has been identified as a priority across Canada and is being promoted and funded by the Canada Health Infoway, which is the federal government’s organization that looks at eHealth or telehealth opportunities. What it is is it’s basically a planning tool and a recordkeeping tool for physicians and other health care practitioners where when they meet with a patient they can enter notes into it. They can use it to upload information into an electronic health record. It really is, in many ways, a cornerstone of providing improved access to services for our residents. What it does is it will allow a physician, for example, to set rules or set reminders, so if you have a patient with a chronic disease, the physician can remember when certain tests are needed or when to call people back for appointments. It can have clinical practice guidelines in there and it also provides a health care practitioner the opportunity to send a consultation or a question or a referral electronically to a physician in another community. Basically what it is, it will become an electronic record of an individual’s health care status and history, but also it can be an interactive tool that will allow practitioners in different communities to work together to bring service to patients faster.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Bouchard Hay River North
A follow-up question on that program. So that is the program that’s already out there and we’re just piggybacking with the federal government, or is this something we’re creating on our own?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Debbie Delancey
It is something that we are creating on our own. It is something that’s being rolled out at different paces in different jurisdictions in Canada. In most other provinces where physicians have private clinics it’s done on a clinic basis. We are trying to roll it out on a territory-wide basis, so we have an opportunity, again, to provide service in all our communities by having one
common electronic medical records system for all the health centres and facilities in the Territories.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Bouchard Hay River North
That’s good to hear. I’ve heard that there are difficulties with sharing information and this system will allow that, of sharing information from the local hospital authority to the territorial Stanton Hospital.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Debbie Delancey
The Member is correct; it will facilitate sharing of information. We will still have some legal barriers, and we have done a lot of work and continue to look at bringing in health information legislation that will help to facilitate sharing of information between health authorities. This EMR will provide the tool that will allow that information to be shared, but we still need the policies and legislation to deal with protection of privacy issues.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Bouchard Hay River North
I’m just wondering about this electronic medical recordkeeping system. Are there prepackaged systems out there or are we creating it from scratch? Will we be able to use northern contractors for this service?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Debbie Delancey
There are a number of vendors in Canada that sell prepackaged systems and the department is currently working to look at what’s out there, which systems might suit our needs. There may be opportunity for some northern support in terms of implementation and adaptation, but the vendors are pretty much bigger national or international firms.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Bouchard Hay River North
As far as the assessment of the prepackaged systems that are out there, is that included in these costs of the system?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Debbie Delancey
Yes, it is.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Wendy Bisaro
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. I have no one else on the list. Any other comments on page 6-4? Health and Social Services, activity summary, health services programs, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $28.089 million.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Wendy Bisaro
Thank you, committee. We’ll turn to page 6-7, Health and Social Services, activity summary, community health programs, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $8.1 million.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Wendy Bisaro
Okay, committee, we’ll now return to page 6-2, department summary, Health and Social Services, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $36.189 million.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Wendy Bisaro
Thank you, committee. Are we agreed we have concluded the Department of Health and Social Services?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Wendy Bisaro
Thank you to the Minister, thank you to the witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Hawkins.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Report of Committee of the Whole
Report of Committee of the Whole
Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 2-17(1), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2012-2013, and would like to report progress. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.