CANADIAN LEADERS IN HEALTH CARE, TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTORS LAUNCH LANDMARK INTERNET OFFERING FOR PHYSICIANS
Canadian Doctors' Network to link physicians nationwide
OTTAWA – (October 18, 2000) – WebMD Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and Scotiabank announced today that they have joined forces to create the first online physician portal of its kind in Canada. The Canadian Doctors’ Network (CDN) will link physicians from coast to coast, and facilitate the exchange of credible clinical and scientific information, news and other resources.
The goal of CDN is to improve the quality of patient care by providing physicians with better access to medical information and services.
“This significant partnership and the creation of CDN represent a major step forward in modernizing communications within Canada’s health care system,” says Cal Gutkin, CEO of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. “In a field where medical advances are happening rapidly, knowledge dissemination is critical to ensuring that Canadians have access to the best quality health care. We believe CDN is the first step in building an electronic infrastructure that will connect physicians and advance the integration and quality of care,” adds Gutkin.
Together, the College of Family Physicians of Canada and The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada represent 49,000 physicians or approximately 75 per cent of Canadian physicians. At launch, the portal will provide physicians who are members of the two Colleges with password-protected access to a broad range of web-based medical information and resources, including daily updates on new research developments, an online medical library and secure email. Financial services will be provided by Scotiabank for physicians’ clinical practices or their personal use.
“The public’s expectations of medical specialists are growing rapidly. The portal will progressively provide Canadian specialists with timely and relevant information for the different facets of their practice,” says Dr. Michel Brazeau, CEO of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. “This portal will save physicians valuable time in accessing medical information, so that they can appropriately stay focused on all aspects of their professional activity, particularly the delivery of high quality health care to their patients.”
A medical advisory board comprised of representatives from the College of Family Physicians of Canada, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and WebMD Canada will provide input and medical expertise on CDN’s content. Scotiabank will create and maintain the financial services centre customized to meet the banking needs of physicians. In the coming months, its e-commerce subsidiary e-Scotia will provide access to suppliers on the Web and secure settlement of credit card transactions to make it easier to buy medical equipment and supplies online.
“Our participation in this portal for physicians complements Scotiabank’s and e-Scotia’s commitment to promoting e-commerce by making it easier for Canadians to bank and make purchases online,” says Albert Wahbe, Chairman and CEO of e-Scotia and Scotiabank’s Executive Vice-President of Electronic Banking. “This new portal is designed to meet the banking and purchasing needs of physicians on the Web at one convenient location. Through this initiative, we are continuing to play a leadership role in Canada by offering professional associations innovative financial services and supporting the growth of e-commerce in Canada.”
A recent study by the Colleges showed that 81 per cent of family physicians and specialists use a computer at home or in the office an average of nine hours per week. For physicians new to the Internet, the Colleges plan to offer computer labs and will publish a series of articles to educate physicians about CDN and how to use it.
"The Internet provides significant opportunities for the Canadian health care community," says Dr. Geoffrey Rutledge, Acting Executive Director of WebMD Canada. "Our innovative technology, coupled with the partners' understanding of the Canadian health care system, have allowed us to provide this valuable service."
As WebMD Canada emerges onto the Canadian landscape, it will launch a number of new services in the months ahead including the delivery of a consumer channel where physicians can send their patients for reliable and credible health care information, at www.webmd.ca. In Canada, WebMD is currently the sole provider of healthcare content for MSN.CA Health, a comprehensive source of healthcare information available through MSN.CA that provides consumers with quality information and tools to help them make informed decisions about their health.
WebMD Canada is a subsidiary of WebMD International, the joint venture between WebMD Corporation and News Corp. WebMD provides connectivity and a full suite of services to the health care industry that improve administrative efficiencies and clinical effectiveness enabling high-quality patient care. The company's products and services facilitate information exchange, communication and transactions between the consumer, physician and health care institutions.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada is the voice of family medicine representing 15,000 members across Canada. A strong advocate for patient care, the CFPC is also the national professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training, maintenance of certification and the lifelong learning of family doctors.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is the voice of specialty care in Canada. The College ensures that the education and evaluation of medical and surgical specialists in 56 specialties and special programs attain the highest standards. The College requires its 34,000 members worldwide to maintain their competence throughout their careers; it supports the development of the most appropriate environment for the practice of medicine and the best patient care.
e-Scotia is the trade name for Scotiabank’s e-commerce arm specializing in e-commerce products, sales, services and investments. Scotiabank is one of North America’s premier financial institutions, with more than $243 billion in assets and approximately 41,000 employees worldwide. It is also Canada’s most international bank, with more than 1,700 branches and offices in over 50 countries on six continents. Scotiabank is on the world wide web at www.scotiabank.ca.
Source:
webmd.com |
