I want to thank columnist Rustam Dow for his pre-Christmas comment regarding telehealth. This technology is critically important for a mostly-rural health region like ours. For that reason, we have telehealth connections in almost every one of our 28 facilities for medical and educational purposes and they are well used. The remaining facilities will be linked up as soon as possible.
In November, for example, our patients, residents and clients used telehealth to connect with doctors and psychiatrists all over Canada. In that one month alone, the use of telehealth made it possible for our regional patients to avoid driving 19,800 km that they would otherwise have had to travel!
That is an astonishing number (and doesn't include the cost of travelling) but it shows how valuable this tool is for local people.
Telehealth allows the public and our staff to obtain critical educational material as well. Almost every week, special programs are available through telehealth to help people cope with diseases like Alzheimer's, a mental illness, or a chronic medical illness like diabetes.
A list of those programs is posted weekly in each local facility that has a telehealth connection.
Telehealth is also becoming more useful for emergency situations. Sunrise Health Region is piloting a stroke project that could expand elsewhere.
That pilot makes it possible for a Yorkton person experiencing a potential stroke to receive a CT scan which is sent electronically to Regina. A neurologist in Regina will subsequently review the scan and direct the Yorkton patient's specific care from Regina. Often, treatment can be managed on site and a transfer to tertiary care can be avoided.
On one day in November alone, one Regina neurologist was able to assess 16 patients assisted by Telehealth.
In our Region, emergency department staff can connect with tertiary centres and specialists to properly prepare patients for transfer, to guide the appropriate intervention, or to avoid unnecessary transfers altogether.
As Mr. Dow correctly observed, telehealth helps us provide better health care with better value to our public.
Marga Cugnet
CEO, Sun Country
Health Region
