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to an absence of an efficient communication network. This fundamental shift in health care
delivery hinges upon notifying and informing the primary care network about the in-hospital
component of their patients’ care.
Another key element driving the importance of this project is the current revolution we are
experiencing in information technologies, both in the home and in the health care milieu. In the
latter setting, computers have transformed the areas related to research and education for health
care professionals but have been slower to benefit patients in a more direct manner. This study is
of compelling interest to managers because it showcases an intervention that takes advantage of
the explosion in computer-related technologies and uses it to facilitate the continuity of care that
patients receive within hospitals and the PCN (i.e., family physicians, CLSCs).
The intervention developed for this study was designed to enhance communication and
integration within the health care system. The research focus was also to examine the potential
impact on resource utilization, health care provider satisfaction and patient satisfaction. These
effects, derived from enhanced information transfer between these two settings will compel
policy managers to consider reliable modes of communication as a fundamental component of
health service policy and infrastructure.
Implications
Decision makers in health policy
The SCS project lends support to several of the major recommendations contained within the
report issued by the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada led by former
Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow. Through major recommendations 8 through to 11, the
report focuses on the importance of continued investment and development of Canada’s health
information technology infrastructure. The Romanow report is largely focused upon the
electronic patient file that would provide health care practitioners with authorized access to
diagnoses, treatments and results. The implications of the SCS project extend beyond this
recommendation and emphasize instead the importance of timely information transfer between
acute care and primary care services in the context of acute illness. Specifically, the SCS project
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