Two years ago, I started seeing patients virtually in their homes for medical psychotherapy visits using the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN). I was recruited as part of a pilot study with a limited number of provider participants and was given an incentive payment for each billed encounter in order to encourage adoption. It took me … Continue reading Virtual Care Pandemic →

While attending a social function, you’ve probably been asked, “So, what do you do for a living?” It’s a common question among new acquaintances at these gatherings. You may find it’s becoming more challenging to answer this question, especially as our roles in healthcare evolve. These days, people might get more than they bargained for when they … Continue reading Hello, I’m a Medical Informaticist… →

Healthcare is changing to meet current and future demand. How can we weather change successfully? What does a healthy transition look like? Take a few moments to reflect on change. What words come to mind when you think about changes in your personal life? If it’s a change you’re choosing for yourself, you may be … Continue reading Healthy Transitions – Change in the Face of Health Technology →

Governance is a hot topic these days. In the past few months, organizations across Canada have asked me to speak about physician governance in the context of health IT transformation. At first, I thought I understood what people wanted. I imagined explaining the importance of physician engagement, physician advisory committees, education for physicians on their … Continue reading Governance in Health IT Transformation →

I woke with standards on my mind. Why should we have standards? I slid out of my standard King size bed, or was it a California King? What is the difference? I jabbed the pesky fitted sheet back under the mattress and wondered if maybe it was a California King and that is why the … Continue reading Coming to Terms with Clinical Standardization →