As the boomer population reaches retirement age, the strain on the Canadian healthcare system that will inevitably happen is a much-discussed topic in politics. But the The Champlain Community Care Access Centre, one of the largest health service providers in eastern Ontario, is tackling the issue head-on.
The CCAC is launching an innovation centre that it says will help people stay at home longer, better support caregivers, and improve access to home health-care technologies. “Demand for home and community care is growing dramatically -- and the patients we are supporting are sicker than ever before,” said Marc Souganivski, the Champlain CCAC CEO. “The combined growth in patient volumes and rising acuity is an important lever for modernizing the home and community care sector.”
The Centre will work by allowing health care technology developers and vendors to test, evaluate and recommend new technologies with patients and caregivers in real-life situations through its new Impact Centre. Some opportunities that the Centre will pursue include Better monitoring of patients’ ongoing conditions, better tracking of home care services being provided as planned and better access to home care supports and resources.
“The Champlain CCAC innovation initiative is focused on e-Consumer health solutions that are industry-funded, focus on consumers (patients/caregivers) and include a supportive/social element,” said Souganivski. “There is growing recognition at all levels that technological innovations can help more people stay at home longer, better support caregivers, and improve outcomes.”