IMAGINE is excited to launch a new project called Citizens for Digital Health. Through this initiative, we will connect citizens with digital health innovators.
Canada Health Infoway defines digital health as:
“the use of information technology/electronic communication tools, services and processes to deliver health care services or to facilitate better health.”
Digital health is going to transform healthcare. It will change how we interact with our doctors, how our information is managed, shared and how we can contribute to creating full and complete health records that are respected and acted upon. Digital health information will enable all of us to become engaged as true partners in our care. Access to a comprehensive health record will change how we as citizens respond to our own health information. It will transform our experience of accountability and we will no doubt begin to demand more collaboration from our providers.
Citizens for Digital Health will put people at the centre of digital health innovation by making co-design frictionless. We will break down barriers to help create breakthrough change.
IMAGINE believes in co-design at every level and every aspect of the healthcare system.
By connecting digital health innovators with citizens they will be able to have conversations about the advantages, risks, and opportunities associated technologies that have the potential to enable improvements in outcomes and experiences for patients. Citizens will be able to learn about new ideas and innovations that could impact their healthcare experience and innovators will be able to get the feedback and insight from citizens that is critical to designing an effective solution.
This can’t wait, and it doesn’t have to. In fact, right now there is a sense of excitement and urgency. There are numerous innovations being developed across the country and as citizens, we want to know more. We want to share what we need, advance our own knowledge, and to be given the opportunity to influence any innovations that have the potential to affect how we experience health, illness, prevention, care and end-of-life decision making.
IMAGINE: Citizens Collaborating for Health believes in building the collective capacity of citizens, patients, and health system stakeholders to work in partnership and shape a health system that delivers on a common vision. We believe that a digital health strategy is critical to achieving an equitable and safer healthcare landscape in Alberta where citizens and patients are true partners in decision-making about all aspects of their health journey.
