Stakeholder Web Conference on Emergency Department Overcrowding in Canada

September 26, 2006

We welcome you to attend an upcoming web conference hosted by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) based on CADTH’s recently published, four-part series on Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding—the most comprehensive review of the issue ever conducted in Canada. This event is designed for Canadian hospital administrators, ED directors, and representatives from regional health authorities and health ministries. It will help participants expand their knowledge of ED overcrowding and provide them with examples of initiatives that are underway in Canada to address the issue.

DATE: Tuesday, September 26, 2006
TIME: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

FORMAT

This will take the form of a web conference panel session of key speakers, followed by a Q & A. The event will be in English, however, supplemental materials will be translated into French.

AGENDA

• Dr. Brian Rowe, Emergency Physician and Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta
  
  Dr. Rowe, the lead author of CADTH’s recently published reports on ED overcrowding, will discuss the findings, including: 1) Measuring overcrowding, 2) Data collection on patients, 3) Frequency, determinants, and impact of overcrowding, and 4) Interventions to reduce overcrowding. See: http://www.cadth.ca/index.php/en/publication/621. (15 min.)

• Dr. Brian Holroyd, Professor and Acting Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta and Chief of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta Hospital, Capital Health, Edmonton
  
  Dr. Holroyd will provide an overview of the current Capital Health Emergency Services and System Capacity (ESSC) project and discuss a successful ED intervention conducted in a tertiary teaching institution in Edmonton, Alberta that is a component of this regional project. In addition, Dr. Holroyd will discuss the importance of using standardized data collected from the ED to allow benchmarking and to assist in the selection of appropriate overcrowding interventions for individual institutions. (12 min.)

• Dr. Michael Schull, Senior Scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Director of the Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto, and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
  
  Dr. Schull will speak about Ontario's ED overcrowding experience and recent initiatives to address the problem. Dr. Schull will also talk about recently recommended Ontario ED wait time targets, such as a six-hour ED length-of-stay target, and how the current performance of emergency departments compares with this proposed benchmark. (12 min.)

• Q & A session (45 min. maximum)

REGISTRATION

Space is limited, so please register early. Register at: http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=27273&s=1&k=F7A93AFACDD64D8B5122026D71DB7F46.

To participate in the web conference, you will need a computer with internet access, and speakers or headphones. You can test your system once you register. During the event, you can type in your questions for the speakers directly onto the web site. Supplemental materials, such as PDF copies of the presentations and speaker biographies, will be posted on the web site in advance of the event.

For questions about the event, please contact: Kirsten Gartenburg, Knowledge Transfer Officer, SCKE, CADTH, (613) 226-2553 ext. 301 or kt@cadth.ca. For technical questions during the event, please contact: (877) 377-1234 or webcast@newswire.ca.

• We welcome your feedback on the Web conference. Please complete our Web Conference Evaluation Form.

ABOUT CADTH

The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) is a significant contributor to Canada’s health care system. Federal, provincial and territorial health care decision makers rely on us to provide credible, impartial advice and evidence-based information about the effectiveness of drugs and other health technologies. An independent not-for-profit agency, our areas of focus are assessing the cost and health effectiveness of drugs and health technologies, and identifying and promoting best practices in drug prescribing and use. Visit our web site at www.cadth.ca