Welcome by Luis Oppenheimer, MD,
Head of Surgery, University of Manitoba, School of Medicine, Winnipeg
Medical Director of Surgery Program, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority

KEYNOTE: Identifying Predictors of Success for Telehealth Networks
Mark VanderWerf, CEO, AMD Telemedicine

In 2000 AMD Telemedicine was asked to examine the programs it has supported to determine if there were common strategies, actions and/or decisions that successful telemedicine programs had in common and similarly, if there were strategies common to unsuccessful telemedicine programs. We reviewed approximately 67 separate projects in 3 countries and identified ten key factors related to the success or failure of programs. How these factors were responded to and incorporated into planning appeared to drive a program to success or failure. This presentation reviews these ten key factors and, based on the study results, maps out the roads to telehealth network success and failure.

Telehealth in Canada
Robert M. Filler, MD, FRCS(C), President, Canadian Society of Telehealth
Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Emeritus, University of Toronto
Consultant in Telehealth, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

Many of the challenges which Canada's Telehealth networks address have relevance and provide interesting parallels for the development and sustainability of other networks internationally. This presentation will look at the scope, applications, policy issues, and importance of Telehealth to the future of the Canadian health care system.

Establishing a Sustainable Telehealth Network: A Texas Experience
Dr. Bob Brecht, CEO, eHealth Solutions Inc, Houston, TX
Michael Baker, V.P. Distance Education, Polycom - USA

For three years, the Texas Rural Hospital Telecommunications Alliance has been working to develop a statewide "telehealth" utility. In an effort to reflect an expanding role and multiple sponsors, the network has been titled "Health Access and Alert Network" (HAANet). The name reflects the network's dual role of providing access to healthcare resources and alerting healthcare providers of public health and other medical incidents. HAANet is a Cisco-powered network that is HIPAA compliant as a network. The 100 plus facilities on the network get access to long distance bypass utilizing voice over IP, 24 hour, seven days a week monitoring of network equipment, and a 5 day per week daytime help desk.

HAANet allows videoconferencing using IP video and provides H.323 to H.320 bridging and multi-site conferencing. It provides access to state databases, e.g., Medicaid eligibility information as well as to distance education, telemedicine, teleradiology, email and web hosting services. A unique HAANet active Windows desktop acts as a portal to services and information.

The Membership Model: One Approach to Network Sustainability

Kevin M. McNeill, Ph.D. Chief Information Officer and Associate Director; Arizona Telemedicine Program and Associate Research Scientist, Department of Radiology The University of Arizona

The Arizona Telemedicine Program was initiated by the state in 1996 to create the technical infrastructure for the statewide deployment of telemedicine. An important goal was to develop a business model to move toward self-sustainability and enable additional healthcare organizations to participate without increased state funding. In Arizona small, geographically isolated communities are under-served both in terms of specialty medical services and telecommunications while a few urban areas concentrate medical resources and specialty services. Traditional, geographically based, referral patterns also had to be supported in order for telemedicine to be successful so we sought to create a model for expanding telemedicine as a "peer" network rather than the "hub-and-spoke" model common to telemedicine at that time.

Our membership model focused on the core telemedicine network services. Any member of the network can interact with any other member of the network for clinical telemedicine services and medical education programming. Professional clinical services among members are established using separate agreements that are layered upon, and independent of, the network membership contract. Using this membership model the telemedicine network in Arizona has grown from the initial eight sites funded by the state to more than forty sites. Cost recovery from the memberships and other centralized cost recovery enabled by the model now offset 60% of the total cost of operating the statewide infrastructure.

Integrating Diverse Resources: Canada's Newest Telehealth Network
Wayne Boyce, Director, MBTelehealth, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Surprises and challenges in developing an I.P. based telehealth network and integrating it into existing care delivery systems.

Research and Evaluation Approaches for Rural/Remote Telehealth Applications: Three Case Studies
Penny Jennett, Ph.D - Professor and Head, Health Telematics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary

This presentation will begin with a synopsis of key observations related to telehealth evaluation activities within specific rural/remote environments. A review of three telehealth case studies will follow: One study is specific to the "readiness" of rural communities to embrace telehealth; the second, is a telehome care project focused on the management of chronic diseases; and the third, presents a generic evaluation framework developed for use by Health Authorities within a province. The purpose, context, methodology, and results from the three case studies will be shared. Three very different approaches were used in each study- one is a randomized controlled trail; one is exploratory in its development of a "readiness "model, and the third is a descriptive policy-making activity.

Increasing Network Utility with Peripheral Devices
Joe D'Iorio, Tandberg USA

This presentation will look at ways to improve Telehealth networks and increase their utility using peripheral devices. Examples from 3 recent case studies in Telehealth networks (Kansas, Florida, and Hawaii) will be presented.

Designing Telehealth Facilities and Making Existing Facilities Work

Janet Major Technical Coordinator Arizona Telemedicine program Distance Program Coordinator Biomedical Communications The University of Arizona

This session will describe the process of designing and establishing a telemedicine clinical facility for both store-and-forward and real-time video case presentations. Starting with a site survey it will be illustrated with several examples of equipment installations through a photographic tour of rural and urban telemedicine sites in Arizona.

Keynote:
Telehealth: A Vision for the Future
Ronald S. Weinstein, M.D.
Director, Arizona Telemedicine Program

Each century is characterized by remarkable advances in science and technology which dramatically alter the healthcare of large populations. Scientific disciplines which expanded in the twentieth century, including the informatics, proteomics, and genomics, may provide the foundation for the pharmacogentic-based tailored therapies of the twenty first century. Disseminating advanced healthcare technologies and monitoring healthcare for large populations are major challenges.

Telehealth provides a somewhat novel approach that leverages increasingly ubiquitous telecommunication networks into delivery systems for sophisticated healthcare services. Socioeconomic benefits may be derived from delivering tele-healthcare services to patient populations early in the courses of their diseases. Telehealth services over the Internet have the potential to increase opportunities for self help, for the mass customization of patient education, for the implementation of cradle-to-grave electronic patient records, and for the expansion of the use of personal healthcare advocates.

Virtual tele-healthcare enterprises may emerge which address critical issues including the maldistribution of healthcare services. Direct patient access to a broad spectrum of traditional physician-based services may increase efficiencies and alter the workflow within healthcare organizations.

Ronald Weinstein is a pioneer in the field of telepathology. He carried out initial human performance studies on video microscopy and invented robotic telepathology for which he holds US Patents. He has published over 300 papers, book chapters, book reviews and editorials and serves on the editorial board of many journals. Dr. Weinstein is currently Vice President of both the American Telemedicine Association and the Association for Pathology Informatics. In addition to his position as Pathology Department Head, Dr. Weinstein serves as Director of the Arizona Telemedicine Program, a statewide network which has won many national awards.

Workshop #6: Quicktime VR

This presentation explores the possibilities of QTVR, which is a part of Quicktime 5, a free cross-platform mediaplayer. The presenter will demonstrate Apple's Quicktime Authoring Studio. This software allows rotation of objects, making panoramas for use on the Web and virtual tours for patients and prospective students.

Instructor: Jim Fosse, Biomedical Photographer, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University.

Workshop #7: Character Building: A Basic Introduction to Macromedia Flash Animation

The Character Building workshop gives a hands-on introduction to Macromedia Flash. Using a deceptively simple approach to basic animation techniques, the workshop gives participants the enthusiasm and confidence to explore the software in-depth on their own.

The Character Building tutorial uses our innate ability to remember faces as a way to learn basic Flash tools and animation techniques. Participants create a character using a different animation method for each facial component: Frame-by-Frame eyes, Shape Morphed mouth, Motion Tweened hair, and an interactive button for the nose, of course. Following general directions, participants are free to create their own "character," thereby encouraging self-expression. This tutorial is a great way to learn the creative potential of Flash in a non-threatening format. The introductory project can also be used as a personal reference to basic animation techniques.
Specific workshop objectives include:
· basic graphic tools and how to modify these
· three animation techniques
· basics of symbols and interactive buttons
· how to import bitmap files
· basic troubleshooting

Participants are encouraged to bring ideas for individual animations projects once basic tutorial is complete. (For examples of Flash animations, visit: http://home.earthlink.net/~shalpine/anim)

Instructor: Susana M. Halpine, Artist-Biochemist, Candle Light Productions, Playa del Rey, California

Workshop #8: Building Multimedia Presentations with Flash: A Powerful Alternative to Powerpoint

The Multimedia Slide Presentation workshop is an innovative, project-based approach to teaching Macromedia Flash. Students, instructors, and creative professionals create a personalized template for a slide presentation. The presentations may include text, still images, as well as animation and hyperlinks. The class project can be used as a reference to Flash software as well as slide presentation formats.
Of particular interest for Distance Learning programs, Flash presentations can be delivered in real time or over the Web. The scalable, vector-based "slides" are viewed either as a stand-alone Flash projector, or within a browser to access Websites, educational animations, or visualization modules. The slides can also be printed for use as poster presentations or handouts. The interactive slide modules demonstrate the power and flexibility of Flash software for multimedia educational applications.
Workshop topics include:
· Anatomy of slide presentation template.
· Overview of basic Flash tools.
· Flash formats and players.
· Importing and working with bitmap files.
· Creating Internet links within a presentation.

Note: Participants are encouraged to design their own slide presentation templates in Flash. Bring up to three (3) files with photos or company logo. (No larger than 4"x5", 72 dpi, .jpg or .gif file format.) For an example of a Flash slide presentation, visit: http://home.earthlink.net/~shalpine/poster.htm.

Instructor: Susana M. Halpine, Artist-Biochemist, Candle Light Productions, Playa del Rey, California

Workshop #9: Website Design: Looking Behind the Page

For many organizations, creating the web site is the sole goal. So...now it's built, it's there, but no one is using it.

How can organizations set reasonable goals and structure their web site to accommodate the user? We will go through the process of web site development including determining objectives, the context of use, and key scenarios of use. With case histories and Dreamweaver (fast becoming the industry standard for web site development) we'll see what goes into a user-centered site. This will include a discussion of:
· How to learn about the user
· Evaluation, maintenance & management issues
· Designing for efficiency
· Navigation issues and the 3-click rule

We will also look at why web site development is linked to the question, "How many doors do you have in your home?"

Instructor: Steven Rosenberg, President & Chief Designer, Doowah Design, Inc., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

This conference is being presented by
the Health Sciences Communications Association (HeSCA)

Questions or comments regarding HeSCA's websites? Email Keven Siegert at keven@hesca.org