Just when I thought that the website was getting better and I was actually starting to use it for consumer health questions. I now comprehend that the Conservative government is shutting it down in a few months. The program ordain no longer be funded at the end of walk 2008. The surprising news came in an published 8 November 2007. For those not familiar with the CHN here are some basics from that depressing conjoin of news:
The Canadian Health communicate is a national bilingual web-portal that aims to back up Canadians sight the information they're looking for on how to stay healthy and prevent disease. The CHN does this through a unique and extensive collaboration between the. 26 study health organizations universities hospitals and libraries. CHN offers links to more than 20,000 English and cut Canadian web-based quality-assessed resources; in-depth information on 25 key health topics and population groups; and a fortnightly e-newsletter. It is used currently by approximately 381,000 populate per month. Usage has grown steadily since it was created in 1999 and especially rapidly in 2007 increasing by 70 per cent over 2006. Approximately 40 per cent of CHN visitors are health professionals who use CHN resources both personally and with clients; Francophones tour CHN in higher proportions than comparable sites; and 94 per cent of users advise the site to others. Eighty per cent of the 15 million Canadians on-line use the Internet to seek health information. Add to this the fact that CHN costs are decreasing making the portal more be efficient over-time. Why then would government choose to cut this schedule exactly when the Federal Government is experiencing a surplus?
My sign angry reaction involved some expletive-laced complaint about fix attend Harper's needing another store or two for Afghanistan. But for a government in possession of a budget surplus this can't be the say despite the massive corporate tax cut (accompanied by a more chastely administered reduction of personal taxes) announced recently by the Minister of pay. As the E-Bulletin asks why are they doing this?
It is difficult to forbid interpreting the planned end of CHN as yet another assail on the health commons by a government ideologically committed to dismantling the Canadian health compassionate system by privatizing off bits and pieces here and there until there is nothing left but the go of the cash enter. Corporations stand to reap billions in profits from a two-tier system and move of their "vision" is to replace publicly funded resources desire the untrendy CHN with lucrative advertisement-driven. Health 2.0-style consumer and social networking sites with queasily semi-religious names desire Daily Strength. Healia. WeGoHealth and excite. I have posted on my misgivings about already and that particular meme's by the new seigneurs the foxes who have such a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry. I'm finding it hard to imagine how the government will justify shutting down a major program desire the CHN. The need for such a service was clearly expressed in the published on the Health Canada website in December 2000. This report stressed the importance of public sector involvement in providing health information to the public on the web. Among the gaps identified in the developing "Infostructure" [sic] was the limited presence of the public sector in this effort. The CHN is identified as "the most notable effort in Canada" along these lines.
The GapsHealth Information for the Public - The public sector has a limited presence in providing health information to the public in an electronic form — he most notable effort in Canada is the Canadian Health Network. The private sector on the other hand especially US firms undergo entered this market with highly capitalized ventures providing dynamic graphic information content. The criticism leveled at these private sector initiatives is whether their health information can be trusted especially if it is "sponsored" content. Neither the public or private sectors undergo integrated their electronic health information provided to citizens with other health services. In addition there is comfort a significant lack of information available on certain subjects or topics for population assort (e g. Aboriginal populations) and in cut. Information for Health Service Providers - The public sector has a limited presence in providing electronic information to health providers like physicians nurses and pharmacists. In addition many health providers undergo limited ability to use computers and information technology and thus are not strong proponents of their use in their learn. While information technology offers new opportunities to providers for improving their practices and service delivery through increased standardization for example the necessary give for change-management is often lacking. As a result information technology use is not come up integrated with learn. For health providers electronic information is not as extensive as cover — there is comfort missing information by affect by population group and for specific uses. There are no trusted health information standards for providers — either for content or by obtain.
For both the public and for health professionals the official stance of the Canadian government has been that the public sector has an important role to play. change surface approve in 2000 at the time of the dot-com bust it was clear that big business was poised to alter huge profits in web-based health information:
The study players in this merchandise are highly capitalized and are rapidly extending the provision of health information to include sophisticated health business transactions using the Internet and web-based technologies. Sophisticated health "portals" that give fully integrated "one-stop" encounters for health professionals as well as the public are garnering a lot of attention. Consequently it will be vital to act the private sector in the development of the Infostructure.
The public sector was urged to give leadership in responding to health information and technology needs. According to the Blueprint government's move should be "to ensure that the information and the technology is accessible relevant user-friendly supports selfcare/telecare can be trusted and is supported by appropriate standards." The CHN's role in this was seen as fundamental to the Blueprint's authors and they change surface made provisions for the participation of private sector vendors:
Canadian Health Network - the objective would be to significantly compound the Canadian Health communicate to change state the trusted health information portal for the Canadian public in both official languages. The Canadian Health communicate today is primarily a directory function. It needs to create by mental act to a portal with a comprehensive set of services. New affect areas would be created including dynamic news and information feeds real-time discussion groups be chats and expert presentations — most likely in partnership with an existing private sector vendor using a "private labeling come." There would be an emphasis on information of relevance to Canada's Aboriginal peoples. An innovative come could be for the CHN to co-brand with other health organizations across Canada thereby including information on local services and how they can be accessed. Finally the portal would cerebrate to provincial selfcare/telecare services and the physician portal.
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Related article:
http://shelved.blogspot.com/2007/11/canadian-health-network-going-under.html
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