University of Calgary students are working to develop solutions to make the health-care system more sustainable and efficient through the Calgary Healthcare Improvement Network. The group held their first event at the Foothills Campus on Jan. 30.
CHIN is the Calgary chapter of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, an international organization.
Formed by nursing and medical students at the U of C last August, CHIN is a student-run club with over 150 members.
According to co-president of CHIN and first-year U of C medical student Fiona Campbell, CHIN works with many research groups on campus to brainstrom effective measures to make health care easier for patients, less expensive and increase collaboration between doctors, residents and nurses.
“We need to find ways to provide better care for patients, and develop a better public policy in the health-care system so we can move forward in a sustainable way,” said Campbell.
Campbell said the group was interested in starting this initiative because health-care improvement is not a large focus in the curriculum.
CHIN also looks at the hierarchy that exists in hospitals between staff, which can prohibit co-operation. Also, they work at developing measures to prioritize prevention of diseases.
“We currently only look at what is wrong with patients, and that is not always the most effective process,” said Campbell. “If we work on maintaining good health, preventing diseases and being proactive, our system can become more efficient.”