Gigabit December 2018

MICROSOFT CANADA
176
I
t is no exaggeration to say that Microsoft has
changed the world, as it has transformed nearly
every part of people’s working and home lives
– after all, around a fifth of the world’s population uses
Microsoft products on a daily basis. Next, the IT giant
is set to revolutionize healthcare.
The healthcare system faces some tough challenges.
Wait times are lengthy, whether in the emergency room,
referral to a specialist, or making appointments to see
a doctor, and processes can generally be slow-moving.
Meanwhile healthcare IT has traditionally been
focused on hospital-based Electronic Health Records
(EHR), but part of Microsoft’s digital vision is to move
beyond this and onto more efficient processes. Peter
Jones, Microsoft’s Industry Lead in Healthcare for
Canada, explains:
“Traditionally we’ve spent a lot of money and resources
on digitizing healthcare records. We are now focused
more on systems of insight that will enable us to access
data and make better decisions on patient care and the
operations in the hospital.”
As well as shifting from systems of record to systems
of insight, Jones explains they are moving towards
systems of engagement, making it possible for patients
to interact with healthcare providers in new ways.
Patient engagement is one of the four pillars of
Microsoft’s model to transform the country’s healthcare
system, alongside empowering care teams, optimizing
operations and transforming the continuum for better
patient care.
DECEMBER 2018