From Canadian Healthcare Technology
RICHMOND, B.C. – Plans are afoot to launch Western Canada’s first physician I.T. laboratory, a site where companies, doctors and other healthcare professionals, hospitals and government planners can test and demonstrate various types of computerized solutions for physicians and patients.
Called the Physician Resource Office of the Future (PROOF), the facility was established by Vancouver Coastal Health in collaboration with Dr. Alan Brookstone (pictured), a family physician.
Dr. Brookstone is closing his practice at the end of June 2007, to concentrate on the development of better I.T. tools and systems for medical care. He will operate PROOF in collaboration with Vancouver Coastal Health as a resource to physicians, health authorities and other organizations interested in trialing eHealth solutions in a clinical environment.
Dr. Brookstone will convert his medical office in Richmond, outside Vancouver, into the new PROOF facility. The office has already served as a primary test site for the regional PrN (Provider Network), a secure private high-speed network developed by Vancouver Coastal Health. The PrN served as a model for the provincial network set to launch in British Columbia and was funded by Vancouver Coastal Health and TELUS.
As a functional physician practice, the PROOF office will be further developed to create, test and showcase technological solutions in a real-world setting, demonstrating actual workflow. The 1,000 sq. ft. facility has:
• 2 physician offices
• 4 examination rooms
• Sample medication / sterilization / vaccine area
• Secure server room with air extraction fan
• PRN network access (Cat 6)
• Cable Internet access
• Internal hard wired LAN (Cat 5) with access points in all offices
• Wireless LAN
Planned upgrades to the existing office location include:
• Flat panel monitor(s) in reception area – to be used for demonstration and teaching purposes;
• Modification of one exam room to duplicate a patient’s home or remote access setting, with both ADSL and cable Internet access, home PC, telemedicine capability and the ability to test home monitoring equipment for chronic disease management (such as Blood Pressure monitoring, Blood Glucose monitoring, etc.);
• Installation of telemedicine equipment in a physician office, patient examination room and the ‘patient’s home’;
• Check-in kiosk at front desk for patient self check-in;
• Identity management tools such as proximity cards and biometric authentication in reception area and physician examination rooms;
• Training area with space for teaching/training of 8-10 individuals – mobile desks, laptops, secure wireless network connectivity;
• Configuration of waiting area to accommodate up to 10 people in a meeting style setting, white boards to be installed;
• Ability to load a British Columbia conformance-tested EMR in the facility for teaching, evaluation and training purposes.
Regular ‘open houses’ are being planned to foster information sharing and networking amongst physicians, technical system designers, provincial and regional planners and health authority executives, as well as vendors of products and services developed to meet and promote overall adoption of eHealth technologies.
Once operational, PROOF will be made available to a variety of groups and organizations for education, training and testing purposes.
For further information, please contact, Dr. Alan Brookstone: abrookstone@cientis.com, 604 813-6729.
