Infoway expands into acting biz with a concept laboratory

Canadian e-health experts have put out a casting call for vendors to help establish a facility that will re-create hospital scenarios in order to demonstrate IT solutions such as electronic patient records. Located at the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation in the Toronto General Hospital, the concept laboratory will put actors as well as real-life health-care providers and patients in settings that explore interoperability and usability issues. Canada Health Infoway, which has a mandate to set up a national electronic health record (EHR) by 2009, has contributed $661,300 to the project as the first investment under an innovation and adoption program launched last year. Dr. Alex Jadad, director of the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, said the first demonstrations using the collaboratory would feature a “physician’s office of the future,” complete with waiting room, desk and examination area. A one-way glass will allow spectators to observe the simulated environments, which will also be videotaped. Monitoring equipment will track fine details such as the iris of the human eye to see how quickly a physician can find the information they are looking for on screen. Vendors who contribute equipment to the collaboratory will receive reports that identify areas for improvement.