Local Health Integration Network
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HEALTHeCONNECTIONS

Enhancing Quality of Care through eTechnology
 

HeC Team

   

Chronic disease management is a growing concern for healthcare providers in Ontario and across the country. The Waterloo Wellington LHIN undertook a two-year project to demonstrate the effectiveness of an eHealth-enhanced chronic disease management model tailored for patients living with diabetes.

The project connected almost 1000 patients with diabetes across Waterloo Wellington with their health care team through a patient portal.

The portal allowed them to track their blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and exercise – giving their care team the ability to virtually monitor their patients daily and contact them if any concerns were identified.

“It really was all about the patients – improving their level of care by getting them actively involved in the management of their disease, giving them more control and understanding of their condition, giving them immediate access to their medical record and healthcare team – all through the convenience of their personal computer,” said Glenn Holder, Chief Information Officer for the Waterloo Wellington LHIN.
What is the HEALTHeCONNECTIONS (HeC) Project?
The Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) undertook the two-year HeC Project to demonstrate the effectiveness of an enhanced chronic disease management model for patients living with diabetes. HeC, which ended on September 30, 2010, was a unique clinical transformation project that:

  • Established 4 Diabetes Care Networks within the WWLHIN boundaries that included 5 Diabetes Specialists, 4 Diabetes Education Centres (DECs), 6 Hospitals/Emergency Departments, 8 Family Health Teams of physicians and other healthcare professionals, and the Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre
  • Worked with the Diabetes Care Networks to implement an eHealth enhanced model for diabetes care
  • Employed a Personal Health Record and Patient Portal to support the care model (mydoctor.ca®)
  • Enabled the sharing of patient provided data, and primary care provided data with the patient’s care team
  • Enabled the sharing of acute care data by connecting Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network the WWLHIN acute care hospitals and key referral centres in the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN (ClinicalConnect)
  • Completed a Benefits Evaluation (BE) Program that reported on the benefits achieved through the enhanced care model and the use of a Personal Health Record and Health/Patient Portal
Key Beneifts/Accomplishments
  • HeC demonstrated that an enhanced diabetes care model incorporating the use of a patient portal delivered significant improvements in the WWLHIN, which already performs highly in best practices diabetes care compared to other LHINs across Ontario.
  • Its significant legacy includes:
    • A group of patients who are better managed and in better control of their diabetes
    • Experience in creating multi-disciplinary healthcare teams/groups that cross traditional boundaries
    • A foundation for new, better integrated models of care through the adoption of technology – a Patient Portal.
    • A foundation for sharing health information electronically across all healthcare providers (regardless of location) and with the patients themselves (ClinicalConnect)
   
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