Andre Picard, an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, addressed students, faculty and staff at Durham College about the use of technology in health care.
Close to 100 students gathered for a lecture by Andre Picard, best-selling author and The Globe and Mail's national health reporter for 20 years, on The Use and Misuse of Technology in Health Care.
Hosted by the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's (UOIT) Faculty of Health Sciences and the Health Education Technology Research Unit (HETRU) on November 1, the lecture provided Durham College students, faculty and staff the opportunity to explore some controversial issues relating to the health care industry in Canada.
Picard incorporated consumer issues, politics and cost into his thought-provoking speech, beginning with examples of his experience caring for his sick parents.
"I'm an informed consumer," Picard said. "My parents received really good care in our health system."
However, they did experience some problems. Picard noted that most people feel that waiting times are the biggest culprit in health care. He disagrees, and feels that electronic medical records are crucial to improving the Canadian health care system.
For example, his mother, who was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), had to repeatedly tell doctors her medical history, due to the lack of easily accessible records. She wondered why, if Blockbuster can record every movie she'd ever rented, and her cab company can store her phone number, address, special instructions regarding her hearing and send the bill directly to Picard himself, hospitals can't record medical history electronically and save her the repetition both of offering information and re-taking tests she had previously taken.
Alternatively, Picard's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Picard said his father never gave doctors the same medical history twice and often told doctors what he believed they wanted to hear, which suggests electronic records could assist those with dementia, confusion or fear.
"I don't understand why we don't use electronic health records in Canada," Picard said. "I think the technology needs to be sold to doctors, the public and politicians."
Picard acknowledged the potential for human error in entering information into a computer, but pointed out human error can occur in writing on paper as well. He said he feels it's important to find a balance in using technology in health care to ensure the best possible care for patients.
He also addressed the issue of cost. According to Picard, a good national electronic record system would cost about $10 billion - that's about $350 per Canadian or $1 every two weeks over a 10-year span. And that is where politics come in. Picard feels politicians are afraid of technology. The problem with investing that much money into something 'invisible' (i.e. wires in hospital) is that people are likely to reject the idea (and possibly the politician behind it). However, investing in building a new hospital enables people to physically see the results, which makes them feel more comfortable with the money being spent (and more likely to support the politician behind it).
Ultimately, Picard feels the switch from paper to electronic records needs to be a catalyst for a cultural change. An electronic medical record system would improve ownership and control for the patient, in addition to improving access to lab results and medical history.