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What Happened to the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN)?

By Mario deSantis, June 11, 1999

Beginning in 1992, the Department of Health concluded that the Wellness Model of health care

being implemented in Saskatchewan needed new information systems. In 1995, the blueprint of

the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN) was completed and its development

was being based on stringent computing standards, and proven, progressive, low risk technologies.

SHIN includes the development of individual electronic health records and its most important

technological features are the linking of all the health care providers through e-mail, and the use

of the technologies of Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN). The

economic integrity of the implementation of SHIN was supported by a Benefit Analysis

conducted by Ernst & Young which identified savings in the order of $58 Million to $114

Million annually.

As a result of the stringent and low risk authoritarian leadership of our politicians and health care

leaders, the Wellness Model went aground; however, no word has been publicized about SHIN.

The 1998 Fall Report of the Provincial Auditor states that $40 Million would be spent by

December 1999 for the SHIN project. Today, we know that SHIN is working on providing

e-mail support services to health providers, and that at least $1.5 Million has been spent on the

obsolete and not implemented technology of Telehealth. Will we ever know how much money

has been spent on SHIN and how much money we have been saving because of it?

-----------References:

[1]
-
Managing Information Technology-A Vision for the Future-Information Technology Architecture, Saskatchewan Health, April 1995

[2]
-
A Historical Perspective of The Saskatchewan Health Information Network, by Mario deSantis and James deSantis, March 1998 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-SHIN.htm

[3]
-
Report of the Provincial Auditor, 1998 Fall Report. Refer to Saskatchewan Health Information Network, Chapter 5, pages 86-98, http://www.auditor.sk.ca

[4]
-
Technological changes in Saskatchewan health care: an abysmal disaster, by Mario deSantis, May 27, 1999

[5]
Website of the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN) http://www.shin.sk.ca

[6]
Website of Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan http://www.gov.sk.ca/health

What Happened to the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN)?
*By Mario deSantis, June 11, 1999*

	Beginning in 1992, the Department of Health concluded that the Wellness Model of health care
	being implemented in Saskatchewan needed new information systems. In 1995, the blueprint of
	the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN) was completed and its development
	was being based on stringent computing standards, and proven, progressive, low risk technologies.

	SHIN includes the development of individual electronic health records and its most important
	technological features are the linking of all the health care providers through e-mail, and the use
	of the technologies of Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN). The
	economic integrity of the implementation of SHIN was supported by a Benefit Analysis
	conducted by Ernst & Young which identified savings in the order of $58 Million to $114
	Million annually.

	As a result of the stringent and low risk authoritarian leadership of our politicians and health care
	leaders, the Wellness Model went aground; however, no word has been publicized about SHIN.
	The 1998 Fall Report of the Provincial Auditor states that $40 Million would be spent by
	December 1999 for the SHIN project. Today, we know that SHIN is working on providing
	e-mail support services to health providers, and that at least $1.5 Million has been spent on the
	obsolete and not implemented technology of Telehealth. Will we ever know how much money
	has been spent on SHIN and how much money we have been saving because of it?

-----------References:

[1] -	Managing Information Technology-A Vision for the Future-Information Technology Architecture, Saskatchewan Health, April 1995

[2] -	A Historical Perspective of The Saskatchewan Health Information Network, by Mario deSantis and James deSantis, March 1998 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-SHIN.htm

[3] -	Report of the Provincial Auditor, 1998 Fall Report. Refer to Saskatchewan Health Information Network, Chapter 5, pages 86-98, http://www.auditor.sk.ca

[4] -	Technological changes in Saskatchewan health care: an abysmal disaster, by Mario deSantis, May 27, 1999

[5]	Website of the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN) http://www.shin.sk.ca

[6]	Website of Saskatchewan Health, Government of Saskatchewan http://www.gov.sk.ca/health