COVER STORY important metric for the usage of tele-medicine (Ramaswamy et al, 2020). The increased reliance on technology has not always been positive, and presents sev-eral challenges including patient access to technology devices, concerns over technology knowledge, quality of care delivered (particularly with artificial in-telligence applications), connectivity is-sues, and privacy concerns to name a few (Mohammed et al, 2021). Despite these concerns, a recent discussion pa-per from the Canadian Medical Associ-ation highlighted the desire by many Canadians to have increased access to medical services including through email, phone encounters, and with tele-medicine. As healthcare practitioners, we must embrace this shift towards telemedicine and new technology, and adopt a new way of thinking. This article highlights several aspects of technology that can be adapted into clinical practice. While some of the suggested technologies may be easier to implement, others may present barriers such as finances or technological prowess. Although I am reluctant to admit it, I am part of the millennial generation, and as an “elder millennial” I find myself struggling with certain types of technology at times. The technology highlighted in this article has an ease of use that I am hoping will help in terms of adoption for its usage. A quick caveat: Although I use several of these resources both in my practice and in my role as an instructor at the Cana-dian Memorial Chiropractic College, I do not have any financial stakes in these companies, and am not reimbursed for mentioning these technologies. TECHNOLOGY AND NEW THINKING Embracing tech Enhancing patient experiences by integrating technology A BY BRETT P. GUIST, DC DR. BRETT P. GUIST graduated from CMCC in 2015 and is a chiropractor practicing out of The Centre for Fitness, Health, and Performance in Toronto, ON. In addition to his practice, he is an instructor at CMCC. 8 Chiropractic and Naturopathic Doctor March/April 2022 www.Cndoctor.ca Photo: © DragonImages / Adobe Stock side from the strain placed on the health care system, the pan-demic saw many con-servative care clinicians had their practices ad-versely impacted during the initial lockdown. Many healthcare providers were able to pivot to the use of telehealth, defined as “synchronous or asynchronous consultation using infor-mation and communication technolo-gies such as telephone, video conferenc-ing, or secure messaging” (Breton et al, 2021). This was originally done on an emergency basis to provide continued support for existing patients, as well as serve as a screening tool to determine if a patient’s condition met satisfactory conditions to be determined “emer-gent” and qualify them for in-person care. However, with time many prac-tices have evolved into more of a hybrid model, incorporating elements of tele-health alongside traditional face-to-face interactions. While there are various styles of prac-tice for incorporating telehealth or other elements of technology, many patients have reported high levels of satisfaction with this style of care (Ramaswamy et al, 2020). Patients have reported high levels of satisfaction with the accessibil-ity of care, which is potentially the most Electronic medical records One of the easiest ways technology can be implemented into your practice is through the adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMR). There are a variety of programs available for this purpose, but some that are may not be advisable due to various regulatory standards of practice. For example, Chiropractors in Ontario must abide several standards of practice include Standards of Practice S-02 (Record Keeping) and S-022 (Ownership, Stor-age, Security and Destruction of Re-cords of Personal Health Information) for their records. These standards of practice mention patient privacy and
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