Digital tools in health care are here to stay and they can play a key role in providing quality care. Physicians need to embrace technology in order to leverage the better care this can offer patients. Change, however, is not always easy as we have seen with the implementation of CST. We know from the recent physician wellness survey as well as our town halls that there continue to be opportunities for improvement in how CST is used in Vancouver Acute.
With the second anniversary of CST’s implementation at VGH now behind us and the work of our CST Task Group winding down, VPSA is pleased that VCH has heard our requests for the establishment of a digital health committee. The new Vancouver Acute Provider Digital Health Committee, which was accepting expressions of interest from physicians until recently, will help shape the future of health-care delivery through the integration of innovative digital tools, technologies and practices. VPSA will be afforded a representative to the committee, which will report to the Vancouver Medical Advisory Committee (VMAC).
Members of our CST Task Group and the VPSA executive and staff were instrumental in helping shape the priorities for the new committee.
“We did a nominal group technique exercise with members of the VA CST leadership team to think about themes and ideas that would be useful for the new committee,” recalled Dr. Raheem Kherani, who has chaired the CST Task Group for over two years. The priorities we identified were influence and impact, governance and structure, and remuneration.”
These priorities are included in the new committee’s terms of reference and will guide its work. They will ensure that structures, goals, and ways of engaging departments and divisions are articulated for both the short and long term. Physicians who participate on the committee will be remunerated rather than having to do committee work off the side of their desks. VPSA will be extending support to this end during the startup phase of the committee.
“I’m hopeful there will be many members of the VPSA who look at this as an opportunity to provide a voice,” said Dr. Kherani. “Whatever their area of expertise is, we need individuals who can talk about their digital health experiences as providers. Because that’s what will make this committee function well.”
Dr. Kherani believes the CST Task Group worked well with the VA CST leadership team and that together they were able to make to some significant improvements. The task group’s greatest accomplishment, in his eyes, was listening to VPSA’s membership. The group also worked to find best practices elsewhere, whether at our nearby hospitals such as BC Women’s and Children’s, or further afield such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto (its CHIO/CMIO Dr. Tania Tajirian spoke to members in June).
Dr. Kherani sees a bright future for digital health at VA and is looking forward to continuing to enhance patient care through opportunities the new committee will introduce. He is most excited about portable care (think tablets instead of laptops or workstations on wheels) and AI scribes that will allow for better patient-provider interaction.