CAMH uses health IT to improve patient care

7.Jan.2019

By Patrick Callan, Communications Coordinator

CAMH has won a significant international award for using health IT to substantially improve patient care and value. 

Thanks to a leading clinical information system (I-CARE), CAMH has been able to monitor for a potentially fatal side effect of clozapine – an antipsychotic medication that is used to treat treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients which is estimated to be roughly 30% of schizophrenia patients. 

CAMH has also improved medication reconciliation processes to ensure patients receive accurate medication information at discharge, and developed a pathway to treat opioid withdrawal patients with best-practice therapy. 

Click here for a closer look at the three cases that earned CAMH a HIMSS Davies Enterprise Award – the highest in the HIMSS Value Recognition Program.

“Since the launch of I-CARE four years ago, we have successfully used the electronic medical record to help us achieve several key medical informatics initiatives,” says Dr. Tania Tajirian, Chief Medical Information Officer, CAMH. 

“As the busiest psychiatric emergency service in Canada, and the largest teaching site for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, the use of electronic documentation, order sets, protocols and pathways have been invaluable in ensuring consistent and evidence-based care for our patients,” adds Dr. Brittany Poynter, Associate Chief, Emergency Department and Bridging Service, CAMH.

CAMH is the third Canadian hospital to win a Davies award and only 65 organizations worldwide have been certified at this level. 

“Winning a Davies award is the continuation of the outstanding work CAMH has been doing since achieving HIMSS Stage 7 – the highest level possible – for I-CARE,” explains Damian Jankowicz, VP Information Management, Chief Information Officer & Chief Privacy Officer, CAMH. “While we are well on our way to becoming a data-driven organization, we are always looking for new ways to leverage health IT to challenge the status quo.”

Meet the CAMH team behind CAMH’s HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award:

Back row (L to R): Dr. Beth Sproule, Clinician Scientist, Damian Jankowicz, VP IMG, CIO, CPO, Carla Smith, Executive VP, HIMSS, Jonathan French, Senior Director , Health Information Systems for Quality and Patient Safety, HIMSS, Tom Leary, VP Government Relations, HIMSS, Lorren Pettit, VP Health Information Systems and Research, HIMSS.

Middle row (L to R): Ryan Pundit, Senior Project Analyst, Rachel Solomon, Executive Director of Performance Improvement, Heather Sulkers, Senior Director, Enterprise Project Management Office & Clinical Informatics, Christine Bucago, Advanced Practice Clinical Leader, Jennifer Wilkie, Senior Manager of Performance Improvement

Front row (L to R): Dr. Tania Tajirian, Chief Medical Information Officer, Brittni Makund, Performance Improvement Specialist, Bonnie Au, Performance Improvement Specialist, Jane Paterson, Director of Interprofessional Practice, Dr. Juveria Zaheer, Psychiatrist, Dr. Gillian Strudwick, Project Scientist.