New Faculty Peer Leader Network Supports Educating Next Generation of Clinicians for Digital Health Age

TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Clinician engagement continues to be a focus for Canada Health Infoway (Infoway), as it launches the new Faculty Peer Leader Network to support educators in preparing future clinicians to practice in a technology enabled environment. 

The Faculty Peer Leader Network builds upon of the successful Clinicians in Training program, which integrated clinical informatics core competencies into the curricula and produced resources to support education, and will leverage the Peer Leader Network model to provide support and mentorship to the academic community.

"The Faculty Peer Leader Network is the next step in preparing up-and-coming clinicians to understand and use digital health in professional practice," explained Maureen Charlebois, chief nursing executive and group director, Clinical Adoption, Canada Health Infoway. "Ongoing digital health innovation is creating an ever-changing setting that makes it vitally important that faculty have the support and resources to prepare the next generation to practice in the digital age."

Over the next 18 months, the Faculty Peer Leader Network will create a collaborative and engaging environment that aims to: incorporate emerging consumer health solutions, such as remote patient monitoring and e-visits; utilize existing tools and resources such as the Faculty Teaching Guide and Pharmacists e-Resource tool; curriculum redesign to promote inter-professional practice and the integration of informatics competencies; provide mentorship to support change management and quality improvements; and more.

Currently, Infoway is working with the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC), the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) with activities to begin rolling out this fall with AFPC and CASN.

"Digital health is helping pharmacists enhance both quality of care and patient safety," said Harold Lopatka, executive director, Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada, "AFPC and Infoway's Pharmacy Educator Peer Leader Network (PEPLN) supports faculty as they prepare our future pharmacists to continue to deliver the high-quality care Canadians expect."

"As Canadians continue to become more and more digitally-savvy, patient-centered care is an even greater focus," said Cynthia Baker, executive director, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN). "With the emergence of new technologies such as e-visits, which enables Canadians to interact with their health care provider from their home, it's imperative that our nurses are equipped for the future. CASN's eHealth Nursing Faculty Peer Network will help our nursing educators transform the future of nursing education."

More information on the Faculty Peer Leader Network, Consumer Health Solutions investment program and other Infoway initiatives can be found at www.infoway-inforoute.ca.

About Canada Health Infoway           

Infoway helps to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across Canada. Through our investments, we help deliver better quality and access to care and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians. Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government.

Infoway's clinical engagement strategy brings together clinicians in leadership, practice and education to ensure clinical value is achieved in digital health. As a result, Infoway supports clinicians in the ongoing adoption and use of digital health in Canada through investments in modern point of care solutions, clinical peer leader networks to share best practices, clinicians-in-training initiatives to help prepare new graduates to practice effectively in technology-enabled environments, change management tools, resources, and by engaging clinicians to advise on projects and strategy.

About CASN

The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing/Association canadienne des écoles de sciences infirmières (CASN/ACESI) is the national voice for nursing education, research and scholarship in Canada.  CASN's mandate is to establish and promote national standards of excellence for nursing education, promote the advancement of nursing knowledge, facilitate the integration of theory, research, and practice, contribute to public policy, and provide a forum for issues in nursing education and research. A bilingual organization, its 91 members are the schools of nursing in Canada offering baccalaureate and graduate degrees. In line with its mandate, CASN is the national accrediting body for undergraduate nursing programs in Canada.

About AFPC

Founded in 1944, first as the Canadian Conference of Pharmaceutical Faculties (CCPF), the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) is the national non-profit organization advocating the interests of pharmacy education and educators in Canada. AFPC represents 10 pharmacy faculties across Canada in which approximately 4900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students are enrolled. AFPC is committed to the promotion and recognition of excellence in pharmacy education and scholarly activities.

SOURCE: Canada Health Infoway

Dan Strasbourg, Director, Media Relations, Canada Health Infoway, Tel: [phone], [e-mail]