New legislation will require all suppliers offering digital health services in Canada to adhere to common standards to promote connected care and secure information sharing.
The Connected Care for Canadians Act focuses on improving connectivity between different systems and paving the way for AI innovation in the health sector. A Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap is also in development to map out the path forward in common interoperability and data standards.
“The burden of disconnected systems falls heavily on our health care providers,” the government outlines. “The fact that only 29 percent of providers share electronic information securely and seamlessly outside of their offices is entirely unacceptable. The fact that fax machines are still used is entirely unacceptable. The fact that Canadians have to walk around with printed copies of their health information, while other sectors have moved fully digital decades ago is unacceptable.”
Marjorie Michel, minister of health for Canada, said: “Timely and secure access to personal health information is critical to saving lives and improving care for Canadians. The Connected Care for Canadians Act is about empowering Canadians to securely access their own health data, so patients and those involved in their care have the information they need to make the right decisions at the right time. This legislation is a critical step towards a more connected health care system that supports all Canadians.”
Wider trend: National data and information sharing
NHS Wales has shared that its National Data Resource programme has achieved a milestone, with encounters data from Cardiff and Vale University Health Board linked into the care data repository. This update brings data such as referrals, outpatient appointments, and inpatient admissions together in a structured and standardised way, said to create a more complete picture of patient journeys and support better care coordination. Teams worked with Cardiff and Vale patient management system colleagues to ensure relevant data can be transferred “consistently and correctly” from source systems, using HL7v2 standards and secure processing through integration services to surface in the care data repository.
NHS England has launched its Solution Exchange, a catalogue of digital tools, solutions, and resources, designed to help NHS organisations discover and adopt new technologies. Based in the Federated Data Platform (FDP), the catalogue is said to bring together proven tools and innovations with the aim of reducing duplication and accelerating the use of data-driven solutions. Tools and resources cover ready-made dashboards, analytical tools, reusable data models, resources for developers, templates, and best practice workflows.
Procurement is set to begin in Ireland for a national EHR, following government approval received this week, offering a single integrated digital health record for every patient in the country. Vendor shortlisting will now begin with a tender process, with the selected solution to undergo phased rollout across all health regions. Noting that the procurement represents a “landmark step” in developing a modern and connected health service, Minister Carrol MacNeill said: “The National Electronic Health Record programme will be central to patients receiving safer, faster, and more integrated care, supporting clinicians and improving outcomes for everyone.”
