1. PAMMLA PETRUCKA SANDRA BASSENDOWSKI

2.  Started in 2007 project introduction in 4 locations in Caribbean and was completed in early 2012  Four countries – St Kitts-Nevis; Dominican Republics; St. Lucia; Dominica  Initial emphasis on nurses gain a working knowledge of ICTs and basic applications

3.  Increasing ICT utilization by nurses to improve:  point of care access to information  evidence based care and decision making  data collection & analysis  information sharing

5.  Effect of ICTs on Quality of Patient Outcomes  Desire to embrace technologies and demonstrate a range of applications  Access to current information for Practitioners, Patients, and Public  OUR Focus on clinical & educational applications related to three major health challenges  Diabetes mellitus  Hypertension  HIV/AIDS

6. Enhance Professional Development and Capacity of Nurses with ICTs Need for health informatics skills & competencies Gaps in available information and resources for provision of quality patient care  Introduction of three tools ◦ Podcasting for Knowledge Sharing & Leadership ◦ Remote Health Monitoring (RHM) – for data collection and extension of access to the public ◦ NurseONE

7.  Influence on National Health Information System (HIMS).  Political will to consider a national health information or e-health solution  Electronic patient records, electronic forms, etc  Regional considerations such as access to information – efficient sharing of information

8.  Patient Satisfaction with IT Introduction  ICT is both a challenge and opportunity in facilitating better health care. It is important to understand how the clients respond to this technology

9.  HIGHLIGHTS  Significant INCREASE in inter-professional practices; use of evidence; and sense of support for nurses’ work.  INCREASE in use of technology for sharing (i.e., podcasting); for continuous learning (i.e., NurseONE); and for data capture  CREATED a Health Information and Knowledge Exchange Environment

10.  ‘LOW’LIGHTS  MINIMAL IMPACT on policy agenda related to ICTs  INSTITUTIONAL resistance to the technology, empowerment, and potentials  COMPLEXITIES of extension to community  SUSTAINABILITY ????

11.  Continuing Education – Promising practices  Sessions on Teaching and Learning  Further education for research & evaluation capacities (skills, uptake & utilization)  Global Practices – Promising practices  Health information for all  Interprofessional capacity building and communications

12.  Mama Kwanza in Tanzania  Emphasis on health information kiosks  Use of ICTs for data capture in communities  SPACE BAND for Birth Spacing  Combines the creation of a ‘beaded’ birth spacing calendar/bracelet with a push SMS message with a health protocols algorithmic underpinning

14. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST Funding received from International Development Research Centre Ottawa, Canada