“Telehealth is the use of information technology to link people to healthcare expertise at a distance.
A high-speed, secure, video link is used to connect a patient to a medical specialist or other healthcare professional at another site in Manitoba.
You are able to see, hear and talk to your care provider on a television screen and they will be able to see, hear and talk to you.”
Officially, there are now more than 100 Telehealth sites, bringing bilingual health-care services closer to home for rural and northern families in Manitoba, Canada.
The highlights of Manitoba Telehealth sites (MBTelehealth) include:
- Live, interactive video conferencing via a high-speed, secure link to support the delivery of specialized health-care services, continuing education and administrative connections between urban, rural and northern communities across Manitoba.
- Nearly 25 per cent of Manitoba Telehealth sites are in First Nations communities, in partnership with Health Canada.
- More than 200 specialists provide services in over 60 different specialty areas as varied as oncology, dermatology and renal health.
- Specialized equipment connected to the system allows physicians to listen to a person’s lungs over the network with a digital stethoscope, or zoom in on a skin condition with a patient camera, enabling thorough assessments along with one-on-one communication.
- MBTelehealth’s teleconferencing allows healthcare staff to attend training sessions and meetings remotely.
This feature saves the health system almost $1 million annually in staff time and travel expenses, which is redirected to patient care.
- MBTelehealth, administered by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, was used more than 10,000 times in the 2010-11 fiscal year, and more than 59,000 times since its inception in 2001.
Please click here for more information on MBTelehealth.
Contact Info
MBTelehealth
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
772-715 McDermot Avenue
John Buhler Research Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3E 3P4
Toll free: 1-866-667-9891 (Manitoba only)
Telephone: (204) 975-7714
Fax: (204) 975-7787
Manitoba, Canada
News Release
April 14, 2011
MORE THAN 100 TELEHEALTH SITES
BRING HEALTH-CARE SERVICE CLOSER TO HOME
Manitoba Families Save More Than One Million Kilometres in Travel Every Year While Receiving Access to 200 Medical Specialists: Oswald
The number of Manitoba Telehealth sites has officially passed the 100-site mark, bringing health-care services closer to home for rural and northern families, Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced today.
“Telehealth provides health-care services to families in every corner of the province that at one time were only offered in urban centres,” the minister said. “This service reduces the stress and expense for patients and their loved ones because they can be treated at health facilities where they live and don’t have to travel long distances to get care.”
MBTelehealth uses live, interactive video conferencing via a high-speed, secure link to support the delivery of specialized health-care services, continuing education and administrative connections between urban, rural and northern communities across Manitoba. Nearly 25 per cent of Manitoba Telehealth sites are in First Nations communities, in partnership with Health Canada.
More than 200 specialists provide services in over 60 different specialty areas as varied as oncology, dermatology and renal health. Specialized equipment connected to the system allows physicians to listen to a person’s lungs over the network with a digital stethoscope, or zoom in on a skin condition with a patient camera, enabling thorough assessments along with one-on-one communication.
In addition to benefits for patients and their families, MBTelehealth’s teleconferencing allows healthcare staff to attend training sessions and meetings remotely. This feature saves the health system almost $1 million annually in staff time and travel expenses, which is redirected to patient care, the minister noted.
“With our wide geography, there are huge benefits to bringing services closer to home,” said Liz Loewen, director, co-ordination of care for MBTelehealth, a program administered by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. “The availability of Telehealth can allow an earlier transition for patients returning to their communities following hospital stays in Winnipeg, as well as better discharge planning and followup. It also improves the likelihood of early diagnosis and treatment.”
MBTelehealth, a nationally recognized award winning provincial program which is administered by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, was used more than 10,000 times in the 2010-11 fiscal year, and more than 59,000 times since its inception in 2001.
More information on MBTelehealth is available at www.mbtelehealth.ca.