OVERVIEW

Canada Health Infoway on Electronic Health Record

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The need for health infostructure development on all provinces and territories in Canada have undertaken EHR-related projects. Numerous international initiatives are being conducted in the United States of America, United Kingdom and European Union countries.

It is acknowledged that these projects are resource intensive, the expected benefits will outweigh the costs. Electronic Health Records will provide health professionals with access, to an individual health records on a need to know basis. For example, access to information such as test results and a list of prescribed medications will assist health care providers in making better decisions based on a patient’s medical history, allowing them to work with their health care providers to make better informed decisions on their own health care. In addition, health care administrators, policy makers and researchers will have access to the regional data to evaluate and strengthen the health care system through better integrated health care information.

Canada Health Infoway was established by the First Ministers of Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial government in 2001. Its mission is to foster and accelerate the development and adoption of electronic health information systems with compatible standards and communications technologies on a pan-Canadian basis, with tangible benefits to Canadians. It is a not-for-profit corporation, funded by the government of Canada, funding was allocated to Infoway in 2001 ($500 million); 2003 ($600 million) and 2004 ($100 million). It is an independent board composed of Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial Deputy Minister.

The intervention of this overview is to make the reader aware of the challenges envisioned to implement on Electronic Health Record system across Canada and its potential benefits.


Reference:
Canada health infoway: paths to better health. Health Canada. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/ehealth-esante/1999-paths-voies-fin/index-eng.php



Provincial Goals
Meaning of Success...

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In Prince Edward Island and Ontario
  • Success is a senior arriving at any hospital emergency room and having the physicians and nurses instantly retrieve his/her complete prescription medication profile.
In Manitoba and New Brunswick
  • Success is a patient in a remote community no longer having to be flown hundreds of kilometres from her family to be seen by a specialist. Expanded telehealth services connect patients and specialists through high-speed networks, reducing delays, cost and stress.
In Saskatchewan
  • Success is a patient’s complete pharmacy dispensing history being available to his healthcare professionals, helping them to quickly detect harmful drug interactions or prescription drug dependencies that need to be addressed.
In Alberta
  • Success is a chronically ill diabetic patient having his/her care actively monitored by a coordinated team of specialists, who communicate and make decisions based on his/her complete and always available electronic health record. It’s the patient routinely receiving reminders for follow-up tests and advice about preventive measures and diet.
In British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Success is a patient receiving critical diagnostic imaging results dramatically faster, as her MRI is digitally captured and electronically downloaded for interpretation by an available radiologist almost anywhere in the province. It’s the radiologist using the same secure network to consult in real time with other experts across the province.





Reference:
Infoway annual report 2006-2007. Canada Health Infoway. Retrieved October 29, 2010 from
http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/partners/free/infoway/pdf/Infoway%20Annual%20Report%202006-07-EN.pdf