Published: October 26, 2009

Overview

Health technology is undoubtedly a major component of our healthcare system. Health Informatics is an emerging discipline that focuses on health care and the use of technology, in particular, information and communication technologies (ICT) as an enabler. At the BC Cancer Agency's Vancouver Island Centre (VIC), previous work has resulted in enhancement of patient care through the use of ICT such as the telehealth program, which allows virtual physician-to-patient interviews and the use of electronic medical record system for healthcare providers.

Health informatics is one of the research themes at VIC. The Health Informatics Research and Development Unit (HIRDU) was formed with the goal of developing an integrated research and learning program to engage patients and their care providers in the use of technology to improve access to and the quality of cancer care.

The formal part of the program began in July of 2008, with prior work in this area performed by VIC staff that spanned many disciplines and other research themes within the Centre. In addition, researchers have links to academic institutions such as the University of Victoria – School of Health Information Science, the University of British Columbia and the University Health Network in Toronto.

The mission of the HIRDU is to solicit, identify, describe and help improve processes, systems, workflow and education in cancer care and research through the use of ICTs. The unit also provides research opportunities for students at the graduate and undergraduate level.

The current areas of research include:

• patient-clinician engagement;
• patient safety through technology;
• studying the effects of moving to a more paperless environment in radiation therapy; and
• planning and enabling prostate cancer patients access to their own electronic health records and computerized tools for decision making and monitoring through a web-based portal.

A group of pharmacy staff are currently looking at ways technology can assist clinical staff in the detection and prevention of adverse reactions in patients receiving new chemotherapy that have recently come into the market place.

There is also ongoing research in the area of Telehealth as the team of researchers at the BC Cancer Agency's Vancouver Island Centre were the first to pilot the delivery of oncology consults through Telehealth.