(Alliston, Ontario) April 11, 2011 – When it comes to diagnosing and treating head traumas, every second counts.  For the team at Stevenson Memorial Hospital, they know that in order to be able to appropriately treat head traumas it is important to first understand the severity of the injury. As part of their ongoing commitment to grow its available services and capabilities, the Hospital recently implemented a new image transfer system that will allow doctors in the rural-based facility to consult with physicians at larger centres, 24 hours a day, seven days a week—which, for the patient, could make all the difference in the world. 

The Emergency Neurosurgery Image Transfer System (ENITS), a province-wide initiative funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and eHealth Ontario, allows diagnostic imaging and emergency departments to consult with neurosurgeons across Ontario and provide more comprehensive consultations to physicians. This is especially useful in smaller, rural or community centres that do not have the same level of expertise available within larger facilities.

By adding this system, Stevenson can offer the same level of diagnostic service as larger community-based hospitals, which can make all the difference when dealing with a head trauma.

“Getting an accurate diagnosis is extremely important, especially when confronted with severe head traumas,” said Angela Trevivian, Manager, Diagnostic Imaging. “This system will help us increase the level of care we can provide to our patients by speeding up their diagnosis and determining the best course of action.”

By getting consults faster, Stevenson will be better able to asses if they can treat the patient on-site or if the patient will need to be transferred to more specialized centre. It is estimated, that by using ENITS, hospitals throughout the province can reduce the amount of patient transfers to other facilities by 30 to 50 per cent.

The reduction in the number of transfers has the potential to save millions of dollars, in addition to reducing the risk to patients in long distance transfers. Since the introduction of the ENITS system in Ontario in January 2009, 1558 patient transfers have been avoided, saving the province more than $50 million.

eHealth Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care combined have provided $2.3 million to support the development and adoption of ENITS throughout the province, which is part of the Ontario government’s eHealth agenda for a provincial electronic health record system.

 “Not only are we saving the system and the taxpayers money, we are reducing the risks for our patients and improving their overall hospital experience,” said Trevivian. “Being transferred to facilities outside of their own community often adds to the worries and costs for patients and their families.”

Since January 2009, 2,404 cases provincially have been referred through the ENITS system. As the system continues to roll out across the province, the expertise available grows with it.

“This system will allow us to offer patients access to the best neurological care available, without being restricted by geography. The value of that is extremely significant,” said Trevivian.