The Vision for a Pan-Canadian Health Infostructure

Any discussion of EHRs would be remiss without reference to the original vision of a pan-Canadian health infostructure, of which interoperable electronic health record systems form a key part. The Advisory Council on Health Infostructure was commissioned by the Minister of Health to consider how information technologies and systems could best support and promote more informed decision-making by health professionals, administrators, planners, policymakers and individual Canadians.  In its Final Report, Canada Health Infoway: Paths Towards a Better Health¹ issued in February 1999, the Advisory Council developed a vision for a pan-Canadian health infostructure (“Canada Health Infoway”):

The Canada Health Infoway empowers individuals and communities to make informed choices about their own health, the health of others and Canada’s health system.  In an environment of strengthened privacy protection, it builds on federal, provincial and territorial infostructures to improve the quality and accessibility of health care and to enable integrated health services delivery.  It provides the information and services that are the foundation for accountability, continuous improvement to health care and better understanding of the determinants of Canadians’ health.²

This vision was accompanied by four strategic goals:

1. To empower the public by providing Canadians with equitable and affordable access to credible information, helping them make health lifestyle choices and allowing them opportunities to become involved by holding the health system accountable and providing input into health policy.
2. To strengthen and integrate health care services by providing health care professionals and providers with communication and information tools, and the supporting environment they need to improve the quality, accessibility, portability and efficiency of health care services.
3. To create strategic information resources for ensuring that Canada’s health system continues to improve and becomes accountable to Canadians, including integration of standardized data to allow comparisons and new insights, expanded or new data coverage, data exchange and connectivity, increased analytical expertise and dissemination of results.
4. To improve privacy protection by harmonizing legislative rules for the use of personal health information across public and private sectors, for health care treatment and secondary uses such as health research.

Online Canadian pharmacies are considered to be very popular among Americans. Majority Americans buy their prescription drugs from online Canadian pharmacies. They believe they can save an average of approximately 40% cost of drug if they buy their medicines from Canadian Internet pharmacies instead of U.S. local drugstores. This is due to the fact that there are many online Canadian pharmacies and they lower their prices to increase their sales figure. The medications offering the major discounts were Zyprexa, Actos and Nexium.

Canadian pharmacies offer overall best prices on Canadian drugs, as well as on international drugs. Ordering prescription drug online is a very easy process. While ordering online, you can send your prescription with it or you can fax it. Once you have placed an order, under general conditions your drug will be delivered at your door within 14 days. For the best buy in prescription medicines, opt for generic drugs from an online pharmacy. Generic drugs have the same active ingredients and work just as effectively, but cost much less.

Canadian pharmacies are licensed and regulated by the college of Pharmacy in each province. If you are planning to buy your prescription drugs online from Canada you need to ensure that you are dealing with a legitimate pharmacy. In order to assess Canadian Internet Pharmacies, one should look for the following safety and service standards like:

The pharmacy’s license number.

Asking patients to provide a doctor’s prescription.

Asking patients to submit details of their medical history.

Displaying the pharmacy’s mailing address and a telephone number on their website.

Brand-name drugs are often substantially less in price when purchased from Canadian Internet pharmacy. Renowned licensed Canadian pharmacies are selling prescription medications that are safe, secure and approved for a fraction of the cost U.S. people would pay. Forty-one of the 44 brand-name drugs examined were less expensive in Canada. As per price regulation in Canada, prescription drugs are much cheaper than in the United States.

For many years, consumers near Canada have driven across the border to buy their drugs at considerable savings from Canadian pharmacies. Now consumers across the country can purchase from a Canadian pharmacy through Internet or by mail. Canadian pharmacies typically require proof of identity and a valid prescription. Prescription drugs purchased from a Canadian pharmacy at a discount price are just as good as those purchased in the United States.

Patient data such as drug regiments, psychological history or diagnostic imaging including x-rays and ultrasounds is now distributed across physical buildings and computers as healthcare professionals consult with one another and collaborate via e-mail and networks; this means it’s more difficult to track where patient information is actually being stored. What is certain is that patient data is stored on computers – PCs, laptops at private practices or servers in a specific department – that will eventually be discarded or redeployed for another purpose.

Under HIPAA rules (PIPEDA in Canada), healthcare organizations must understand the flow of protected health information and must have mechanisms in place to secure access to that data. Take this a step further and it means discarded computer systems must not become a backdoor means to gain unauthorized access to confidential health information.

And while normally the primary concern of most healthcare organizations is to ensure that data is available to staff when they need it, the discarding of old computer systems is one occasion when going the extra mile to destroy confidential data is required so it does not fall into the wrong hands.

Data is a lot like DNA. It can be inherited. It can mutate. Typical computer users in the healthcare sector contain confidential material such as patient records, accounting records, x-rays, diagnostic images and much more. To a data recovery expert they are nothing more than “0s” and “1s” organized on the computer’s hard disk drive and much easier to retrieve than one might think.

Data-ridden computers can be discarded in a number of ways. Sometimes they are turned in for newer models when leases retired, or they are simply “inventoried” and placed in a storage room to gather dust. Often old computers are donated to charity, auctioned off or sold to the general public with the data still residing on the hard drives.

Whether discarded individually or en masse, it’s entirely possible that these computers still contain protected health information. Much of that data could be the software applications and trivial information, but frequently the information remaining on these computers can be extremely sensitive.

Lost, but not irretrievable

Data on computers, despite apparent loss due to natural disaster, equipment failure, human error or security breaches, is rather resilient. Data often thought irrevocably lost can be and is frequently retrieved by data recovery specialists. Likewise, data thought deleted from a system is often still resident on a discarded computer’s hard drive.

Data removal procedures go beyond the simple deletion of a file from the computer user’s desktop. There are methods and techniques that are used by individuals who come into possession of previously used systems who can reconstruct data even after the storage media has been erased.

What many users don’t realize is that when most computers delete a file, the contents of the file are not actually removed: the file, at least in the short term, is still resident on the hard drive, but it’s no longer linked to the file system. The data remains on the disk until the operating system re-uses those sectors to write new data.

In order to confirm a deleted file is really deleted, it is necessary to overwrite the data sectors of that file. Until the old data is actually overwritten by new information it can be recovered by programs that read disk sectors directly, such as forensic software, commercially available data retrieval software or data recovery techniques. As result, data thought to be deleted may remain on the drive if the sectors are not overwritten.

There are a number of ways to ensure the destruction or inaccessibility of data on hard drives: degaussing, overwriting, data encryption and media destruction are some of the methods that have been employed to safeguard against disclosure of sensitive information.

Wiping

The wiping of sensitive data from a computer’s hard drive or a removable storage device is the best method of data destruction to guarantee the data can’t be reconstructed through laboratory techniques. Wiping is essential when hardware containing sensitive data is moved from a secure facility to a non-secure facility or environment. Software-based data destruction methods are inexpensive and easy to use for the average computer user,

Software used for data purging is available on the market from a number of vendors.

Degaussing

A more severe approach to data erasure is degaussing, which often renders hard drives inoperable. Degaussing is a process whereby the magnetic media is erased. As a result, degaussing can prevent computers from being recycled for educational use, charitable donation or resale to the general public. The sensitivity of the data stored on the computer and the feasibility of software purging should be weighed before one makes the decision to degauss hard drives.

Clearing

A less extreme means of data erasure is the removal of sensitive data from storage devices in such a way that there is assurance, proportional to the sensitivity of the data, that the data may not be reconstructed using normal system capabilities. Clearing is feasible when the storage media is reused within the same computer and same office. For example, if the computer is simply being cleaned up for a new staff member taking over from a departing staff member, it is remaining in the same controlled environment.

Clearing can be accomplished by overwriting the unassigned system storage space on the disk. A single overwrite of a file or all system storage is usually enough to make sure that previous information cannot be rebuilt.

As mentioned earlier, simply deleting a file only removes the directory pointers to the file; the digital information is still on the computer until overwritten. Even reformatting, or repartitioning a hard drive is not enough to guaranteed that the files are completely gone, even if the end user can’t browse them or open them with an application.

Ultimate destruction

In extreme cases where the destruction of data must be guaranteed and the chance of retrieval must be eliminated, physical destruction of the hardware is the best course of action.

Media may generally be destroyed by using a number of methods, including an abrasive substance on magnetic disk or drum recording surface. Corrosive chemicals can have the same desired effect, but regardless, the entire recording surface must be completely removed before disposal. Destruction of drive (or the entire computer, for that matter) can also be achieved by being smelted, disintegrated or incinerated at a metal destruction facility or through incineration.

Even if the decision is made to destroy the hardware completely, it is still a good idea to purge media before submitting it for destruction.

Hold on a second!

While making sure sensitive data does not fall into the rights should be established policy, it is important to make sure that data is no longer needed; if it is, make sure it can be found on another computer or server.

Before disposing of any computer hardware, be sure to back up the data in a secure location. Just because the computer is no longer needed, doesn’t mean the data isn’t still required, and that data may not be found anywhere else in the organization. There could also be legal requirements for maintaining certain information, including medical records long after the patient has left the facility

Ultimately, however, the safeguarding of protected health information is critical and properly removing this sensitive information from computer hard drives must be incorporated within any other security and privacy policies and processes.

http://www.cbltech.com

From mild to moderate diseases, these pharmacies have medications. Whether patients are suffering from the symptoms of osteoarthritis, stomach acid, heart diseases, and any kind of other disease, they have the right medication for you at easy on the pocket prices. Some of the popular medications available at a Canadian pharmacy are Zoloft, Fosamax, Prevacid, Effexor, Synvisc, Hyalgan, Botox, Mirena, Celebrex, and a number of others. Numerous medications are also approved by the FDA because of their successful results. Interesting fact about the medications is that they are tested and approved by Health Canada.

No doubt, each Canadian pharmacy is known for offering medications at easy on the pocket prices with very attractive discounts. But you are advised to keep some facts and points in mind while placing an order for the medications. First of all you should check the license number, toll-free number and address of the pharmacy to ensure that it is approved by Canadian government to sell prescription and generic medications. This is vital because there are a number of pharmacies available over the internet selling over the counter or out of dated medications to make more and more benefits. However, such types of pharmacies never mention their address or toll-free number in their website. Apart from this, they are not licensed pharmacies.

Canadian pharmacies are also known for keeping your information private as they never disclose your details to anyone. Your privacy and safety is the main concern of each pharmacy in Canada involved in selling Canadian prescription drugs. In order to make the online purchasing of medications safe and hassle-free, these pharmacies also offer you flexible payment mode through all the legal money exchange processes. Numerous pharmacies also provide free shipment in a fix area.

If you’re wired to the Net you can order your medications online and you’ll most likely receive the package the next day. For over-the-counter medications, there really aren’t so many issues. The more sensitive aspects are the prescription drugs and the controlled substances.

There are online vendors that commit fraud by sending the consumers, medications that are already close to the expiry date. Some others sell pills at expensive prices. Little do consumers know, that what they received were mere sugar pills that won’t have any effect on them at all.

But, people still use the services of an online pharmacy. There are actually two major reasons why. First, is the lower cost of medications bought from other countries, say Canada or Mexico. US consumers are faced with high expenses on medications. This is why many prefer to buy their prescriptions online.

The second reason why people use an online pharmacy for their medication needs is privacy. A lot of people prefer to be anonymous so, instead of approaching a doctor fro prescription, they buy from the online pharmacies where prescriptions are made online. These people are usually suffering from health issues like depression, hair loss, or erectile dysfunction (ED). In fact, online, there is a huge business for medications like antidepressants, Viagra, Propecia, and such diet pills as Phentermine and Xenical.

For a long time now, US consumers who live near Canada cross the border so that they can purchase the drugs from the Canadian pharmacies at really low prices compared to US pharmacies. A newer option for these consumers is to purchase via mail.

What the pharmacies in Canada do is require the buyers to show proof of identification and a valid prescription from a physician. If the physician is licensed to practice in Canada the medications can be shipped immediately. If not, the prescription will have to be issued again by a Canadian doctor.

These days, the online pharmacy is a better choice for buying medications from within the US, Canada, or Mexico. Sometimes, it really isn’t cheaper to get medications online because the vendors require fees for the prescription service, which should be offered free. The additional cost sometimes equal or exceed the cost incurred by actual medical checkup. So, for refills, the costs could really be more significantly high.

But a person who buys from an online pharmacy sometimes doesn’t mind that the price is higher if it means anonymity. There are delicate health issues that a lot of people do not really want to talk about. These patients do not want others to know of their medical problems for one reason or another. This is the advantage of the online pharmacy for them, and they are willing to pay.

Curiously, many sites don’t simply sell medications. Many carry non-prescriptions items as well as pet medications. The first step in selecting a pharmacy is to make sure they have all the drugs you are taking. You should also, whenever you can, seek out whether generics are offered or whether you have to buy brand names.

Generic drugs are created with the very same ingredients as the Name Brand. The only real difference might be in what the medications actually look like (generally different companies manufacture generics from brand name). Generics are a safe and affordable substitute for Name Brands.

As soon as you had narrowed down the choices, you checked a couple of computer things. The site has to have SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) as well as a strong and clear privacy policy. After that, you need to consider procedures. Most sites offer numerous methods to order: phone, online, or fax. Genuine sites require that you provide your Rx written by your doctor.

Some of the pharmacies actually pass the script to their employed doctor who then reviews all pertinent paperwork (other medications, possible interactions, etc.). Once the doctor has confirmed it is the correct medication, he will issue a Canadian script. The licensed pharmacist in the web store will then examine everything one more time in the order to ensure the correct prescription is delivered to the patient who purchased it.

Another thing you need to check out was payment options. Most sites accepts VISA, Master Card, and Paypal. Some also accepts Amex while other sites accepts eBillMe – which a cash option.

For you, it may seem that the online Online Prescriptions is the way to make substantial savings. Most are safe and the savings are worth the trouble. You will be happy you spent time to find out about it.

The Canadian Pharmacy provides full security and confidentiality of all your information, be it your illness, drugs you’re on or your credit card or account information, only their specially trained staff and privacy officer have the authority to access any information and no information will ever be passed on to any third party unless it is necessary to fulfil the order you have placed. The third party in such a case will be licensed drug dealers and pharmacists who in turn will be bound under their privacy act to keep the information safe.

The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is Canada’s federal drug control statute. It lists a number of drugs that are not to be sold without a prescription , the Canada drugs that are sold online strictly follow this act and only provide drugs with a prescription, as such it is totally safe to order these drugs online. They provide all over the counter medicines like diabetic supplies, pain relievers, smoking cessation, creams and lotions etc. the medications that need a prescription would be for sicknesses like asthma, cholesterol, osteoporosis, arthritis etc.

International customer looks for less expensive generics or those who are not covered under a medical insurance can profit from this online pharmacy of Canadian drugs. They offer a 100% money back guarantee that their drugs are the cheapest and the best as far as quality is concerned. Shipping costs are low and easily affordable, and if not satisfied by the order it can be returned and they would even pay you back what you spent. The Canadian pharmacy can be contacted at any time and on any day, they work round the clock with their efficient and trained staff to provide you with the best and cheapest drugs. Your health is their priority!

The main proponents of EMRs cite the following advantages:

(1) The use of EHRs supposedly reduces errors in medical records. There is no doubt that handwritten records are subject to lots of human errors due to misspelling, illegibility, and differing terminologies. With the use of EMRs standardization of patient health records may eventually become acheivable.

(2) Paper records can be easily lost. We have heard how fires, floods and other natural catastrophes destroy physical records of many years, data which are lost forever. Digital records can be stored virtually forever and can be kept long after the physical records are gone. EMRs also help keep records of health information that patients tend to forget with time, i.e. inoculations, previous illnesses and medications.

(3) EMRs make health care cost-efficient by consolidating all data in one place. Previously, paper-based records are located in different places and getting access to all of them takes a lot of time and money. In a systematic review, Kripalani et al. evaluated the communication transfer between primary care physicians and hospital-based physicians and found significant deficits in medical information exchange. The review recommended the use of EMRs to resolve these issues and facilitate the continuity of care before, during and after hospitalization. EMRs translates into better treatment for patients. Take the example of one asthma center’s experience with EMR: “A major benefit associated with EMR implementation was the increase in the number of children who were hospitalized with an asthma exacerbation and received an asthma action plan upon discharge. Prior to the EMR system, [only] 4% received an asthma action plan upon discharge. After implementation of the EMR system, 58% received an asthma action plan upon discharge.”

(4) EMRs can save lives. VeriChip, developed by VeriChip Corporation is the first one of its kind ever approved by the US FDA. It enables rapid identification of at-risk patients and access to their medical history, thereby enabling rapid diagnosis and treatment especially in emergency situations. Classic examples are people with diabetes and/or heart problems who have high risk of collapsing and having attacks. VeriChip is also useful in vehicular accidents and other trauma incidents where the victims aren’t capable of answering questions. In cases of large-scale catastrophes, VeriChip facilitates tracking and identification of victims. According to a coroner in Mississippi, VeriChip helped identify victims during the Hurricane Katrina incident.

Earlier this year, Google Health was launched, an online personalized health records service. Google Health is based on the principle that since it’s the patient’s medical record, the patient should control it, decide what should be in it, and who gets access to it. One of the features of the service includes records from hospitals and pharmacies that are Google Health-enabled or are registered Google Health partners.

The HealthVault is another online health information storage service offered by Microsoft with features similar to Google Health. Keith Toussaint, senior program manager with Microsoft HealthVault recently stated ” leading hospitals like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are actually integrating their systems with both us and Google — because some people like one or the other. It’s a Coke or Pepsi thing.”

What are the disadvantages of EMRs? Not surprisingly, privacy rights advocacy groups are the main opponent of EMRs. Here is what they have to say:

(1) EMRs threaten our privacy. In this day and age when people’s mantra is “I need my privacy”, not many people are comfortable about having their entire medical history recorded and digitized for almost just anybody to see – in other words, incursion into people’s privacy. The confidentiality of doctor – patient relationship is still sacrosanct. Besides, medical data can be used against a person in some cases – be it for a job application, insurance coverage or a college scholarship. Although it is against the law to discriminate against people with illnesses and disabilities, it is a fact of life that the fitter you are, the more competitive you are in the job market. The planned incorporation of genetic data in EMRs further adds to people’s fear of incursion into their private sphere.

(2) EMRs can lead to loss of the human touch in health care. In the process of digitalization, the interpersonal aspect in health care may be lost. In handwritten hospital charts, doctors and other health care practitioners may write what they think and they feel based on their personal observations in their very own words. EMR is simply about ticking off boxes and crossing out things in electronic forms. The doctors are forced to think in categories and can seldom express a personal opinion on an individual case. Because of the lack of flexibility of many electronic reporting systems, cases of misclassification of patients and their conditions have been reported.

(3) EMRs are not that efficient. Despite efforts in digitalization and standardization, EMRs are actually far from being standardized and not as efficient as it is purported to be. It often happens that one clinic’s EMR system is not compatible with that of a general practitioner or another clinic’s system, thus belying the claim of added efficiency. In addition, not all users of EMRs are satisfied with the current state of the art. Although the objective is mainly efficiency and healthcare quality, one study showed that nurses in the Netherlands are not completely satisfied with their EMR implemented in 2006-2007.

(4) EMRs are not safe and secure. Google Health and HealthVault are quick in assuring patients of the safety of their online health accounts. Access to the patient’s account is only possible using log ins and password. In addition, HealthVault assures that “all health information transmitted between HealthVault servers and program providers’ systems is encrypted” and that Microsoft does it best to use the “highest standards of security to safeguard consumer health information from theft, loss, or damage.”

However, there are cases wherein passwords and encryptions do not seem to be adequate as data protection tools. Stories of data hacking, stolen identities and blackmail abound. Even high security databases such as those run by banks and credit institutions are often compromised. This impression was aggravated by the many well-publicized incidences of data loss or breach. A few examples are listed below:

November 26, 2007, Canada. Hackers accessed medical information on HIV and hepatitis from a Canadian health agency computer. – September 22, 2008, UK. The National Health Service (NHS) reported the loss of 4 CDs in the mail containing information on 17,990 employees. – September 30, 2008, US. The company Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana confirmed breach of personal data, including Social Security numbers, phone numbers and addresses of about 1,700 brokers. The data was accidentally attached to a general email.

In addition, there is criticism over Google Health not being a “covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the regulations promulgated thereunder (HIPAA)” under its terms and conditions and is therefore not subject to HIPAA privacy of individually identifiable health information. The HealthVault terms and conditions do not mention HIPAA privacy laws so it is not clear what its status is regarding this issue.

(5) VeriChip is not for humans. It is to be expected that although many of us are amenable to the use of RFID chips in pets, the idea of implanting similar chips in human beings is bound to raise hackles in humans, no matter what the US FDA says. A big opponent of the VeriChip and similar chips of its kind is the consumer advocacy group Spychip.com. In a position paper, Spychip and many advocacy and consumer awareness groups see RFID tagging (be it on your person or on the items you buy) as a major threat to privacy and civil liberties. They see the tagging as some kind of “Big Brother” operation. Another group, the No VeriChip Inside Movement, likens VeriChip as “cataloguing” humans similar to the way the Nazis have tattooed numbers on the skin of concentration camp detainees. Popular Hollywood films on privacy incursions (e.g. The Net, Public Enemy No. 1) increased further people’s paranoia about personal data.

Where do we go from here? Without doubt, we have the technology to make EMRs standardized and efficient. Google Health, Microsoft HealthVault and similar online personalized health information accounts are enabling patients to take control of their medical records. The main issues that need to be overcome are data security, protection of privacy and gaining the confidence of the patients. It doesn’t seem evident that the use of RFID and similar tagging chips will become acceptable or popular anytime soon. However, we live in a digital world and we cannot hold back progress indefinitely. With improved technology and data protection tools, let us hope the EMR issue will be resolved soon.

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Adobe Systems to Discuss Managing the Transformation of Healthcare at 2008 Health Technologies Conference and Expo

Healthcare is more complex now than at any other time in history. Individuals benefit from a dynamic “community of care,” including primary care physicians, specialists, case managers, surgeons, social workers, nurses, and others. However, this extended community has increased the likelihood that individuals complete redundant paperbased documents, with specific care-related information is stored in separate files, and that privacy may be compromised.

Concurrently, healthcare providers are striving to improve patient care, reduce costs, protect patient privacy, and enforce compliance by streamlining and automating processes. Experts agree technology is the solution. However, though healthcare providers have invested heavily in software applications from a variety of vendors over the last few decades, they are still struggling to make them work more efficiently—when and where they are needed the most.

Join Adobe at the 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference and Expo on April 15 -16, 2008 at the Design Exchange in Toronto Ontario.

Learn how Adobe Systems is helping healthcare provides develop solutions that can increase the interactivity of multiple caregivers and processes with patient information to save time and money. The discussion will also touch on how providers can reduce admission, readmission cost, by replacing inefficient, manual, paper-based processes with automated efficient processes that increase collaboration, streamline electronic forms, and support electronic medical records (EMRs) and personal healthcare records (PHRs).

To register for Early-Bird Passes please visit http://gov.wowgao.com/registration OR call (416)292-0038 Ext. 812.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Systems Incorporated offers business, creative, and mobile software solutions that revolutionize how the world engages with ideas and information. With a reputation for excellence and a portfolio of many of the most respected and recognizable software brands, Adobe is one of the world’s largest and most diversified software companies

About the 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference & Expo:

The 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference and Expo will focus on the latest IT products and solutions being developed and sought after in the healthcare and public service sector, including Web 2.0, Patient Monitoring Systems, Document Management, Business Intelligence, Mobile Data Systems, RFID Solutions, Biometrics and much more.

As one of Canada’s leading annual IT conference and exposition, the event features ground breaking IT applications that aim to educate key IT professionals, Government officials, developers, architects, engineers and medical professionals with the necessary tools and techniques for the reliable, effective management of all public information services across Canada. For more information about the event, please visit http://gov.wowgao.com

About WowGao Inc.

WowGao Inc. is an award winning leading event management company that produces, since 2003, internationally renowned conferences and expositions that address the latest innovations and developments in the information technology industry. Our featured events include:

Government & Health Technologies Conference and Expo, April 15 & 16, 2008

Wireless & Mobile Expo and Conference, July 15 & 16, 2008

RFID Forum, July 15 & 16, 2008

Financial Services Technology Forum, October 2008

For more information about the events, please visit http://www.wowgao.com/

For conference inquiries:

Conference Producer

(416) 292 – 0038 ext. 840 | conference@wowgao.com

WowGao Inc. | www.wowgao.com

For Immediate Release

Adobe Systems to Discuss Managing the Transformation of Healthcare at 2008 Health Technologies Conference and Expo

Healthcare is more complex now than at any other time in history. Individuals benefit from a dynamic “community of care,” including primary care physicians, specialists, case managers, surgeons, social workers, nurses, and others. However, this extended community has increased the likelihood that individuals complete redundant paperbased documents, with specific care-related information is stored in separate files, and that privacy may be compromised.

Concurrently, healthcare providers are striving to improve patient care, reduce costs, protect patient privacy, and enforce compliance by streamlining and automating processes. Experts agree technology is the solution. However, though healthcare providers have invested heavily in software applications from a variety of vendors over the last few decades, they are still struggling to make them work more efficiently—when and where they are needed the most.

Join Adobe at the 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference and Expo on April 15 -16, 2008 at the Design Exchange in Toronto Ontario.

Learn how Adobe Systems is helping healthcare provides develop solutions that can increase the interactivity of multiple caregivers and processes with patient information to save time and money. The discussion will also touch on how providers can reduce admission, readmission cost, by replacing inefficient, manual, paper-based processes with automated efficient processes that increase collaboration, streamline electronic forms, and support electronic medical records (EMRs) and personal healthcare records (PHRs).

To register for Early-Bird Passes please visit http://gov.wowgao.com/registration OR call (416)292-0038 Ext. 812.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Systems Incorporated offers business, creative, and mobile software solutions that revolutionize how the world engages with ideas and information. With a reputation for excellence and a portfolio of many of the most respected and recognizable software brands, Adobe is one of the world’s largest and most diversified software companies

About the 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference & Expo:

The 2008 Government and Health Technologies Conference and Expo will focus on the latest IT products and solutions being developed and sought after in the healthcare and public service sector, including Web 2.0, Patient Monitoring Systems, Document Management, Business Intelligence, Mobile Data Systems, RFID Solutions, Biometrics and much more.

As one of Canada’s leading annual IT conference and exposition, the event features ground breaking IT applications that aim to educate key IT professionals, Government officials, developers, architects, engineers and medical professionals with the necessary tools and techniques for the reliable, effective management of all public information services across Canada. For more information about the event, please visit http://gov.wowgao.com

About WowGao Inc.

WowGao Inc. is an award winning leading event management company that produces, since 2003, internationally renowned conferences and expositions that address the latest innovations and developments in the information technology industry. Our featured events include:

Government & Health Technologies Conference and Expo, April 15 & 16, 2008

Wireless & Mobile Expo and Conference, July 15 & 16, 2008

RFID Forum, July 15 & 16, 2008

Financial Services Technology Forum, October 2008

For more information about the events, please visit http://www.wowgao.com/

For conference inquiries:

Conference Producer

(416) 292 – 0038 ext. 840 | conference@wowgao.com

WowGao Inc. | www.wowgao.com