MEDIA ADVISORY - First pan-Canadian multi-disease surveillance network set to
launch

Family physicians anticipate new insight, improved care in chronic disease 

VANCOUVER, Oct. 12 /CNW/ - Patients with chronic diseases and their family physicians are set to benefit from greater access to health information through a new and secure network of pan-Canadian health information being unveiled Thursday in Vancouver. The unique surveillance initiative—the first of its kind in Canada—will help family physicians better understand and manage the chronic diseases affecting their patients. Current and future participating family physicians (referred to as "physician sentinels") will help set new standards for innovation and excellence in primary health care research across Canada.

In partnership with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and with the ongoing collaboration of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the new network makes it possible to securely collect vital information from patients' electronic medical records (EMRs) to improve the way five chronic diseases of focus are managed. The program has been successfully piloted over the past two years by more than 100 physician sentinels representing tens of thousands of patients with one or more of the network's chronic disease focuses. 

The launch will include a funding announcement to broaden the network over the next five years, with specific targets for recruiting physician sentinels in every region of the country. 

This announcement will take place at Family Medicine Forum (FMF) 2010, where more than 3,000 physicians and health care practitioners will be gathering.  October 11^th to 16^th marks Family Doctor Week in Canada.

WHAT:	Funding announcement and launch of the first pan-Canadian multi-disease surveillance network
WHO:	The Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board of Canada and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway Dr. Cathy MacLean, President, College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) Dr. Richard Birtwhistle, Research Director, Centre for Studies in Primary Care, Queen's University Dr. Marie-Thérèse Lussier, physician sentinel and Director, Research Network for Family Medicine Units, Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université de Montréal A representative physician sentinel
WHEN:	Thursday, October 14^th from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time), following the opening plenary
WHERE:	Family Medicine Forum 2010, Vancouver Convention Centre (Vancouver, BC), Room 111-112 Audio webcast coordinates: http://www.newswire.ca/en/webcast/viewEvent.cgi?eventID=3240820 Teleconference coordinates: in Toronto, dial 647-427-7450; outside Toronto, dial 1-888-231-8191 Media questions are invited via teleconference.
ACCESS:	Prior registration for the audio webcast is required.
	Media will require media identification for access to the Vancouver Convention Centre. Upon arrival, proceed to the FMF 2010 registration area or the Media Centre (Room 105-106) for a name badge. This will permit access to all public sessions during FMF2010.

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