Serving Canadian Veterans Through Telemedicine - We Tell Our Story in May

We are thrilled by the news that our abstract for a presentation on our telemedicine success has been accepted for this year's national e-Health 2012 conference in Vancouver this May. 

Below is an excerpt from the abstract. If you are going to this year's event, I know you will be touched by the impact we have made on the lives of those emotionally damaged during service to our country.

---------------------------------------------

The tragic reality of serving our nation is that many of Canada’s veterans are not the same people upon returning home as they were when they embarked on their mission to serve their country. Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) can reduce even the toughest Canadian from proud service to suffering and isolation.

            An OSI is best described as any persistent psychological difficulty resulting from operational duties performed while serving in the Canadian Forces or as a member of the RCMP. Difficulties may occur during combat duties, after serving in a war zone, in peacekeeping missions, or following other traumatic or serious events not specific to combat. Common OSIs include, but are not limited to, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), other anxiety disorders, depression, substance use disorders and other conditions that may interfere with daily functioning.

The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (ROHCG) Operational Stress Injury Clinic (OSI) is a joint initiative funded by the Veterans Affairs Canada and operated by the ROHCG. It is also a part of Veteran’s Affairs Canada’s national network of operational stress injury clinics. It is fundamentally designed to connect an innovative, specialized mental healthcare provider and telemedicine leader to the support network of service men and women living with service-related operational stress injuries.

    The private and sensitive nature of an OSI could deter many clinicians from considering telemedicine as a service delivery. However the ROHCG OSI Clinic recognized studies that indicate the earlier help is sought, the better one’s recovery can be. The clinic designed a definitive trauma treatment program that relies on Telemedicine service delivery to empower patients to actively engage the OSI team in a timely, flexible, and safe delivery of care. Its Ottawa-based clinic serves clients struggling with an OSI throughout Eastern and Northeast Ontario, Nunavut, and Western Quebec, resulting in a potential 2,500 clients who may access services of their OSI.

              The presentation will include testimonial account of the impact of an OSI on the life of a client; client profiles demonstrating the treatment path realities of telemedicine-blended care versus the challenges of caring for patients limited to traditional, face-to-face treatments; and the leadership and direction credited for the rapid adoption of telemedicine delivered care by the full inter-professional, seven person care team including Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Worker and Registered Nurse. Client evaluation strategies and results will demonstrate the growing acceptance and effectiveness of the telemedicine enhanced care.


As per our blog policy - the opinions and comments in this article represent those of the author and should not be considered representative of The Royal.