Telehealth in Heartland Health Region-Linking Communities for Health
Telehealth Saskatchewan is a Saskatchewan Health program endorsed by
The Action Plan for Saskatchewan Health Care as an effective approach to
improve access to health services. Telehealth Saskatchewan uses
communication and information technology to support the delivery of
clinical care and professional education services. Using live, two-way
videoconferencing, health care providers can apply the latest
tele-diagnostic instruments, including digital stethoscopes, patient
examination cameras, and digital imaging, to enable a remote patient to
‘visit’ an out-of-town health care provider from their home community
rather than having to travel. Telehealth technology is used by the
public and Heartland Health Region staff for all health related
applications including appropriate clinical consultations, education and
meetings. Telehealth Saskatchewan not only connects sites within its
own provincial network, but it can link with other select sites
provincially, nationally, and internationally. Telehealth Saskatchewan
strives to make your telehealth consult as close to what your face to
face appointment would have been as we can. It is a real-time
videoconference connection, so you and your specialist will be able to
see and hear each other just as though you were in the same room. If
needed, we also have the use of our patient examination cameras which
allow us to give your specialist a close up view of a wound, etc. as
well as a stethoscope to allow the specialist to listen to breath sounds
and heart tones. Telehealth Saskatchewan supports ongoing clinics in areas such as:
Oncology • Rural and Remote Memory Clinic • Hip/Knee Replacement
clinical education • Nephrology• Pediatric Surgery • Pediatric
Rheumatology • Rehabilitation • Stoma Therapy • Renal Dialysis/ Chronic
Renal Insufficiency • Adult/Child Psychiatry • Genetics • Respirology •
Neurology and Neurosurgery
Did you Know ……..
- Heartland Health Region has Telehealth in 15 sites in 12 locations:
Kindersley Health Center (2), Outlook Health Center, Rosetown and District Health Center, Heartland Corporate Office – Rosetown, Unity Health Center (2), Biggar Health Center, Davidson Health Center, Eston Health Centre, St. Joseph’s Integrated Health Care Center in Macklin, Kyle Health Center, Kerrobert Health Centre, Lucky Lake Health Center and Wilkie Health Center.
- In the fiscal year of 2017/18 there were 782 patients seen by Telehealth in Heartland Health Region.
- In the same period Heartland patients and their families saved a total of 287,457 Kms in travel by using Telehealth in their home communities
How do I access Telehealth for health services?
To access health services through Telehealth you must be referred to a
Specialist who consults using Telehealth by your Family Doctor. The
Specialist will decide whether your consult could be accomplished using
Telehealth and whether it would be appropriate to do so. The
Specialist’s office will then arrange the date and time, and you will be
notified by letter. A few days before the appointment, the Telehealth
Coordinator will contact you to answer any questions that you may have
and to explain to you where the Telehealth suite is, when to come into
your site, etc. What other applications can Telehealth be used for?
Telehealth can be used for a variety of purposes other than clinical,
including: • Education for public on living with chronic conditions such
as diabetes, high blood pressure, managing medications, etc. •
Education for health professionals. • Administrative – meetings that
could include professional associations and working groups, focus
groups, etc., within our Health Region, the province and outside of the
province.
Upcoming Public Telehealth Sessions in Heartland Health Region:
To register for a
Telehealth event and to to ensure the event will be broadcast in your
site, please contact Kristyn McCarthy – Heartland Telehealth Coordinator
at 306-463-6150 ext 2404 or by email to kristyn.mccarthy@saskhealthauthority.ca at least 2 business days prior to the session date.
For more information about Telehealth Services in Heartland Health Region contact the Heartland Telehealth Coordinator at 306.463.6150 ext 2404 or by email at kristyn.mccarthy@saskhealthauthority.ca
Links Telehealth Saskatchewan Telehealth Saskatchewan Video Short