Harper Government invests in eHealth innovation

New technologies aim to empower patients, assist health care providers, and monitor population health

For immediate release –

2013-21

Ottawa (May 27, 2013) – During a keynote speech at the 2013 e-Health: Accelerating Change conference, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced funding from the Harper Government to support research projects focused on developing innovative new electronic health (ehealth) technologies. These technologies will capitalize on advances in electronic patient records, internet technology and mobile devices.

“Our Government continues to invest in and promote health care innovation to improve the health of Canadians and increase the efficiency of the health care system,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “These research projects aim to develop products that empower patients, assist health care providers, and enable better population health monitoring.”

eHealth is an essential enabler of health care in Canada. Through its investment of $2.1 billion, the Harper Government is supporting Canada Health Infoway in its work with the provinces and territories and many other stakeholders to increase the availability of electronic health records and other ehealth technologies that benefit Canadians through improvements in patient access to service, the quality of health care and the efficiency of the system.

The funding announced today will support 16 new research projects through the eHealth Innovation Catalyst Grant program, led by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research. The program focuses on promoting the development of innovative technologies that enable patients to self-manage their conditions via eheath applications, support health professional decision-making and enable enhanced population health monitoring.

The funded projects include:

• Dr. Samina Abidi at Dalhousie University will develop a smartphone application to help people with diabetes manage their condition and a web-based decision aid for clinicians that will assist them in the care of their diabetic patients.
• Dr. Steven Grover at McGill University Health Centre will evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based ehealth program designed for people at risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Dr. Jennifer Stinson at the Hospital for Sick Children will develop and test an online communications tool for adolescents and young adults with cancer and their care providers.
• Dr. Henry Stelfox at the University of Calgary will develop and test an electronic decision and communications tool to facilitate the safe discharge of patients from intensive care units.
• Dr. Linda Li at the University of British Columbia will develop an online decision aid to help people with rheumatoid arthritis make treatment decisions.

“We are delighted with the response to our ehealth initiative and will continue to promote research in this important area,” said Dr. Robyn Tamblyn, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research. “Innovative new technologies are changing our approach towards chronic disease prevention and management. By capitalizing on the transformative potential that technology can bring to health care, we can increase the satisfaction of patients and health care providers and improve the accessibility and efficiency of the health care system.”

CIHR designed the eHealth Innovation Catalyst Grant program to stimulate the development of new health technologies and foster partnerships between researchers and the private sector to commercialize these technologies for widespread use. CIHR plans to relaunch the program in July 2013.

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Fact Sheet

Further information:

Cailin Rodgers
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
613-957-0200

David Coulombe
Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.