Sessions 

At TEC 2023, we would like to shape the future of digital health, transforming it to become a benefit for the patient and provider alike.

Digital health is an umbrella term encompassing everything from virtual health, rural/remote decision support, remote patient monitoring, and much more. With the rapid adoption of digital health through the pandemic, compounded with the attrition of family medicine, patients and providers have experienced some of the negative unintended consequences of these changes.

To begin such an ambitious aim, with the partnership of Healthcare Excellence Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Health Infoway, Canadian Medical Association, Health Canada, Canadian Institutes for Health Information, Rural Coordination Centre of BC, First Nations Health Authority and CMPA, we are bringing together the chief stakeholders to drive this change.

Panel #1         Defining "Essential Digital Health for the Underserved"

What aspects of digital health are essential? What even is digital health? Who are the underserved that can benefit from digital health? Delivering care in a new way can potentially be revolutionary, but it can also be equally disruptive. In order for us to chart a responsible course for the future of digital health, this panel will first seek to define our terms: Essential, Digital Health, and Underserved. Join us for a conversation to explore this topic with insights from patients, healthcare providers, and provincial health services leaders.

Moderator: Dr. Chris Lee

Panelists:

 

Keynote #1 Patients' Perspective 

Speakers: Ron Beleno & Pixie Wells, Patient / Client / Caregiver


Panel #2         What do Canadians want from digital health?

Any effective service must continually consider and address the wants and needs of those it serves.  Healthcare delivery is no different.  Cornerstone to this are the tangible and audible voices and decisions of patients and caregivers, clinicians, as well as industry partners and health organizations.  Hear real stories from patients and their experiences with technologies and digital health.  Areas we will explore: What data already exists to inform the journey of digital health adoption and practice in BC, Canada and beyond?  What is it about digital health that keeps you up at night which we must pay attention to in order to be impactful?  How do we balance the benefits and risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI)?  Bring your ideas and questions, your passion and examples, your varied experiences and perspectives!

Moderator: Dr. Chad Kim Sing

Panelists:

 

Keynote #2 Advances in digital health to serve the underserved

Speaker: Joby McKenzie, Teladoc Health 


Panel #3:     What do we need now to enable digital health across Canada?

In order for digital health to be available and effective to serve our citizens across Canada, what are some of the important elements and approaches we need to have in place to make this happen? What types of health data structures do we need to put in place, and how can all the data be shared and used appropriately? How would a province leverage this national, interoperable approaches to integrate digital health to augment and improve existing health services? This session will explore this topic through dialogues with national and provincial health services leaders together with patients.

Moderator: Dr. Kendall Ho

Panelists:

 

Keynote #3 Real Time Virtual Support (RTVS): Prioritizing the Healthcare needs of Rural, Remote & Indigenous Communities in BC.

Speaker: Dr. John Pawlovich, Rural Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC); Carrier Sekani Family Services; Rural Coordination Centre of BC


Panel #4:     How should we benchmark and evaluate digital health today, and what should be our next steps to make advances tomorrow?

To measure progress, we need to know what our current baseline is, and then how we can improve on what we do today for a better tomorrow. What evaluation metrics should we put in place to measure and evaluate what we identify as essential digital health services for our underserved patients today, and decide on what next steps we should take now so tomorrow we will determine if and how we have made progress? This session will focus on how we can initiate this plan-do-study-act cycle of activities to take a national step forward together to advance digital health.

Moderator: Dr. Kendall Ho

Panelists:

The chief output of TEC 2023 is a set of papers designed to shape policy by being informed by key stakeholders (in attendance at TEC 2023) and outlines what essential digital health looks like. 

Chief among these papers of interest would be: 

Only by bringing clinicians and patients to the table can we affect positive change, and we are hopeful that TEC 2023 will be a valuable venue for engagement.