Open-Health is developing an environment where clinicians can use their existing health information systems to provide effective patient-centric care. Unlike many other eHealth initiatives, Open-Health is using an open-source approach to build a secure health network capable of connecting diverse clinicians and enabling patient-centric care. The Open-Health architecture recognises the need for security, privacy, controlled access, and traceability. It also recognizes that existing business processes will undergo change and that processes to integrate health information systems will become more complex as more feature-rich integrated services emerge from university research and clinical competency centres.
 
Although Open-Health is heavily involved in developing technology, it recognizes the importance of business change and is actively involved in non-technical aspects of business process redesign. The Open-Health solution architecture describes approximately 20 perspectives required for success of which two-thirds are non-technical. Building the next-generation EMR requires the involvement of clinical, administrative, and technical stakeholders; Open-Health is working to build this collaboration.

 

Open-Health Stakeholders    If your organization is on the list below, you should be involved with Open-Health   Industry Vendors EMR/Clinic Systems Pharmacy Systems Workflow Managment Tools Identity Management Tools Hospital Systems Telehealth Scheduling Telehealth Devices Remote Monitoring Devices Lab and Diagnostics Decision Support Tools IP Network Technologies Claims Management Tools   Health Organizations Clinics Pharmacies Primary Care Groups Competency Centres Health Regions Insurance Payers Allied Professionals Registry Services Professional Colleges Associations Health Auditors Privacy Offices   Standards Groups HL7 Canada CIHI CHIMA VCUR NeCST   Research & Development Government Innovation Programs University Hospitals Health Faculties Network Systems Patient Safety Advocates

Our Philosophy   Open-Health’s mission is to create a collaborative environment where health system stakeholders can jointly develop processes and technologies that support the next generation of automated workflow, electronic patient record, and decision support tools. Open-Health’s objective is to develop an information bridge that connects clinicians to patient data and clinical best practice tools. Our founding principle is enabling “Tools of Choice” where clinicians can select the tools they want from an innovative and commercially competitive business sector.   Open-Health works with industry, medical researchers, and health organizations to integrate workflow processes, patient records, and clinical best practices.     Our Mandate:   Open-Health is structured as a collaborative research and development group that supports organizations building tools for eHealth. Open-Health is mandated to integrate existing technologies and standards, not redevelop them. As such, Open-Health works with care providers, colleges & associations, health regions, standards groups, and technology partners to integrate existing technologies into a seamless platform capable of consistently and securely exchange health information between clinics, pharmacies, health regions, and other health custodians. Open-Health is not directly involved with handling patient data   Core Business Principles:   1) Open-Health advocates for the development of tools of choice in an open and competive environment. Many of these tools exist today but are hampered by the lack of information exchange standards.   2) A long-term sustainable health informatics industry requires competition between innovators. Barriers to enter the health industry need to be lowered by creating a consistent technical environment where new products can be widely distributed (enabling economies of scale).   3) The development of next generation productivity tools for the health sector requires input from techncial and non-technical stakeholders.   4) Open-Health's core architecture is not bounded by jurisdictional rules or proprietary technologies. The solution is designed to cross existing jurisdictional and technical barriers.