Scenario: An elderly gentleman is experiencing heart palpitations. A public health nurse in the region is able to wirelessly receive the gentleman's history, perform an examination at the couple's home, and connect to a resident heart specialist at Vancouver General Hospital to receive an informed first tier prognosis. The gentlemen is not considered to be in danger, but the nurse equips the gentleman with a device that VGH can use to monitor the patient's heart remotely. The elderly couple can live comfortably knowing they have access to critical health care services.
On line delivery of health care services and information will result in improved health care across all regions, more effective use of specialists; efficient recruitment and retention of professionals; reduced costs for travel; and greater efficiencies and speed in delivering information to all communities in the province.
Enabled by pervasive broadband access, a number of opportunities are made available to improve the access to and quality of healthcare services in our regions. For example:
- Expanding telehealth services as broadband is extended to the rural communities can dramatically enhance the level of care a patient is provided locally.
- Rural healthcare workers and patients can access on line learning programs to improve their health care knowledge and become better informed about personal wellness information.
- Physicians in rural communities can record and send patients' clinical and laboratory images and results electronically, significantly reducing the prognosis timeframe. As a result, patients are able to receive the care they need at the time they need it.
