One of the greatest difficulties for those living in northern communities is the lack of access to different resources in the health care system. Anyone who has experienced a severe health crisis quickly realises that many services and specialists are only available in larger centres many kilometres away.

A program recently introduced in Smithers seeks to remove many of these barriers by linking health care in smaller communities to specialists and other medical professionals in larger centres. The BV CDC Telehealth Program is part of a larger provincial program that uses video-conferencing to connect groups and individuals for the purpose of improving health care across the province.

The equipment works in a fairly simple manner: Each site is equipped with two screens and a small video camera. One screen shows the images from the distant site while the other screen shows the image from the home site. In that way, both auditory and visual communication between the two groups is possible.

Both the child development centre and the local hospital have this technology, with the hospital also employing a smaller screen for use in the emergency room and other locations where larger screens are impractical.

Helen Truran, the local site co-ordinator, says the program presently has a number of applications, all of which improve the quality of health care for patients.

One of the more useful applications according to Truran is in the area of discharge planning. Health care professionals working with a sick child from Smithers in a Vancouver hospital can communicate with all interested parties — including parents, support workers, teachers, and health care professionals — who await the transfer of the child back to Smithers.

"It’s an opportunity to engage in dialogue as a large group so that everybody knows what’s going on," says Truran. "It’s more of a collaborative approach so that the community is ready to receive the individual."

Another interesting use of the program is for clinical consultations. A recent example involved a specialist in a larger centre helping a local physician with a complicated and difficult procedure as the procedure was being completed. Often, the technology gives local patients access to specialist care without the burden of leaving the community.

The local telehealth program is part of a larger provincial initiative funded both by the Ministry of Health and by a federal grant intended to improve the quality and accessibility of health care. Other communities in BC that have taken advantage of this program include Victoria, Fernie, and Prince Rupert. The technology has been in Smithers since June and is the result of two years of planning by Truran and other individuals.

Recently I attended a telehealth session in Smithers entitled "Living with Disabilities". Sixteen people sat in the conference room, listening and watching as a professor in Vancouver gave a presentation. The technology allowed for the broadcast of computer, video, and overhead images as well. At the same time, other groups from around BC were also able to take in the seminar. After the presentation, individuals from the various sites across the province were able to ask questions of the professor.

"This technology enabled us to link into a very relevant and important presentation in a larger centre by a speaker who is very much respected in his field," states Truran. "These types of opportunities are rare in smaller northern communities and would not have happened otherwise."

According to Truran, as more and more individuals and health care practitioners become familiar with the technology, its use will increase.

"The use (of Telehealth) is increasing especially for educational, administrative, and clinical consultation as more and more people know about it," she says.

For residents of northern communities, the Telehealth program eliminates some of the inconveniences of living hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest urban centre. Individuals can use the technology to have virtual visits with sick relatives in hospitals in Vancouver. According to Truran, this not only eliminates the monetary strain of having to travel long distances, it "supports better health care, decreases stress, and helps patients and families through transitions."

Besides the health care field, there are countless other uses for the technology and Truran adds that the equipment is available to rent for individuals and groups in the community. Those who are interested in learning more about the technology or in finding out information on renting the equipment can call the Child Development Centre.

As with all new technologies, there are obstacles to overcome as its use increases. But the future of the program is very promising, especially if people are willing to change the way they think about health care delivery and consider the endless possibilities for future applications.

"The future possibilities of telehealth are whatever one can imagine. Videoconferencing adds a new dimension to communication, bringing people closer together for meetings, interviews, consultations, professional support, research, education, and much more."

This is welcome news for those interested in helping to remove a difficult obstacle for those with specific health care needs living in the North.

(Chris Steenhof is a Smithers teacher and writer.)