For many years we have been focused on the dollars spent component of this equation; group buying, reducing hospital beds, squeezing salaries, capitation, cost per visit and more.  These are cost reduction tactics that are important but not the complete solution.
The new thinking is that health outcomes are a significant contributor to the value equation.  Porter’s principles of value in health care can be summarized as follows;

• Treat the person in the best care setting, look beyond the emergency room
• Have a fully informed care team by sharing information amongst health care providers
• Measure the outcomes and cost for every client / medical episode
• Encourage specialization and reward providers based on results

To support the principles of value, we need to focus on information technology solutions that enable care delivery and the measurement of health outcomes. 

The new Value in Health Care model is finding its way into policy, program and reimbursement within the health care system.  In Ontario, the Ministry of Health is investing in the “Integrated Client Care” project with the goal to move toward a value based model of care organized around clinical conditions that will improve health outcomes for clients. 

MedShare is ahead of the curve here, providing solutions that enable assessments, care planning, clinical documentation and health outcome measurement.   The information is securely stored in a central electronic health record which allows access to all health care workers on the care team.

When Canada's foremost home and community healthcare organization made business transformation a priority, they realized it would take expertise and resources beyond their current staffing complement.  VON retained IBM to help identify, manage and deliver transformation change to their organization which was founded in 1897 and now employs 14,000 staff and volunteers.

One of IBM’s priorities was to find a clinical mobility solution best suited to the operational requirements of VON Canada. Their search resulted in a multi-year agreement to implement the MedShare Clinical Management Solution.  MedShare was selected for the breadth and functionality of their software satisfying the information and communication needs of nurses, therapists and personal support workers.

MedShare will initially provide nurses with scheduling, communication, visit verification, and travel expense calculation tools via secure access from regional site locations to the point of care delivery in client homes.

In this first pilot implementation, approximately 400 - 500 visiting nurses across Canada will be receiving BlackBerry devices running MedShare software.  The application will present the nurses with their daily schedules, client health information, service orders and driving directions.  Nurses will confirm visits and document required information using the BlackBerry.  This solution will eliminate time sheets, streamline intake and scheduling processes and enhance communication in support of nursing activities related to client care.  MedShare has integrated these mobile applications into the VON scheduling system, Procura, resulting in an end-to-end solution.

We are proud to announce that the first VON site successfully went live on October 12th!