Canadian patients are benefiting from a 39 per cent increase in electronic health initiatives that are modernizing the way clinicians deliver health care, announced Richard Alvarez, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway (Infoway).
"In the past year, we've seen tremendous growth in the number of electronic health record initiatives that are delivering enhanced patient care, shorter wait times and a more productive health care system for Canadians," said Alvarez, who recently released Infoway's annual report. "While this growth is encouraging, momentum must be maintained so we can capitalize on the efficiencies generated through electronic health initiatives as our population continues to age and grow."
In 2006-07, Infoway approved investments of $518.9 million in EHR initiatives across Canada, surpassing its target of $335 million. The digitization of diagnostic imaging, Drug and Laboratory Information Systems projects and the interoperable electronic health record made significant progress.
With 227 projects complete or underway across Canada, Infoway and its partners are investing in modern health information systems that are uncovering efficiencies in healthcare settings across Canada. The result is better patient care and outcomes, reduced wait times and cost savings.
Infoway's plan for further electronic health progress is outlined in 2015 - Advancing Canada's next generation of health care, its long-term strategic vision document. The document is available at www.infoway-inforoute.ca.
Infoway is a federally-funded, not-for-profit organization that is leading the development and implementation of electronic health projects across Canada. Infoway works with provinces and territories to invest in electronic health projects, which support safer, more efficient healthcare delivery. Fully respecting patient confidentiality, these private and secure systems provide health care professionals with immediate access to complete and accurate patient information, enabling better decisions about diagnosis and treatment. The result is a sustainable health care system offering improved quality, accessibility, productivity and cost savings.
Created in 2001, Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) is a federally-funded, not-for-profit organization that is leading the development of electronic health records across Canada. Infoway works with the provinces and territories to develop electronic health records, which support a safer, more efficient healthcare system.
Infoway is a strategic investor and architects of a common, pan-Canadian framework of electronic health record systems where best practices and successful projects in one region can be shared or replicated in another. Infoway oversees the development of Canadian standards, while the provinces and territories implement and operate the system.
Fully respecting patient confidentiality, these private and secure records are increasingly providing authorized healthcare professionals with immediate access to complete and accurate patient information, enabling better and quicker decisions about diagnosis and treatment.
The result will be a sustainable healthcare system offering improved quality, accessibility, productivity and cost savings.
Infoway is a corporation governed by an independent board of directors whose members are Canada's 14 provincial and territorial Deputy Ministers of Health.
Electronic Health Records - Investments Across Canada
The future of health care in Canada is evolving. Implementation of electronic health records across Canada is creating unprecedented efficiencies throughout our health care system.
Benefits include:
Infoway invests in the development of information systems that store individual patient information (i.e. laboratory test results, prescription drug history, diagnostic imaging). Data from each of these systems will eventually be fed into the interoperable electronic health record system so authorized health care providers from across Canada can quickly access this information.
Below is a summary of each investment area. A total of 227 such projects have been completed or are underway across Canada:
Telehealth: Patients from Yellowknife, who once might have travelled more than 1,500 kilometres to Edmonton for a consultation with a specialist can now access specialized care close to home. Telehealth links patients in small, remote locations with health care resources that are more common to urban centres.
Innovation and Adoption Infoway's Innovation and Adoption investment program supports innovation in clinical practice, with the goal of sharing successes so they can be replicated to benefit more patients in other settings.
For instance, cancer patients in Ontario are benefiting from e-health with an innovative system that allows physicians to directly prescribe complex chemotherapy and related drugs by computer. This helps minimize harmful adverse medical events that can be caused by incorrect handwriting interpretations and dosage calculations. Cancer-specific systems like these have proven to catch 48 per cent of ordering-related errors, and 23 per cent of transcription-related errors. Other jurisdictions are now looking to include similar systems as part of their own cancer management strategy.
Drug Information Systems: In Prince Edward Island and Ontario, physicians and nurses can instantly retrieve the complete medication profile of seniors who arrive at any hospital emergency room. As a result, there are fewer adverse drug interaction, which lead to increased patient safety and fewer hospital admissions. The health care system benefits through increased capacity and a more efficient use of resources.
Public Health Surveillance: British Columbia is leading the development of Canada's new Public Health Surveillance (PHS) system, scheduled for completion in 2008. Effective tracking of those who have had close contact with individuals infected with a communicable disease like SARS is critical to containing and stopping its spread. This project will provide public health officials with an efficient way to track the spread of infection so containment measures can be put in place swiftly.
Diagnostic Imaging Systems: In Quebec, digital storage and retrieval of diagnostic imaging (x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds) is improving productivity by eliminating the use of inefficient and bulky film repositories. It also allows any authorized specialist to instantly view and share images, and to easily consult with colleagues from across Canada. An added benefit: the program is lowering the cost of diagnostic imaging from an average of $30 per image four years ago to $12 per image today. These cost efficiencies are fostering quick national implementation. Infoway's goal is for 95 per cent of all hospital-based diagnostic imaging tests to be filmless by 2010.
Laboratory Information Systems: Laboratory test results are critical factors in patient diagnosis and a vital part of a patient's electronic health record (EHR). Many patients have tests done in different health care provider locations. For instance, a set of blood tests might be done for an annual physical, then another might be ordered when a specialist is consulted. Often, these tests are duplicated when a patient sees a different physician since on-line sharing of test results is limited. Lack of test information can slow diagnosis and access to care and results in unnecessary costs. Infoway's Laboratory Information System program provides immediate electronic access to test results to authorized health care professionals, regardless of who ordered them. Benefits include a reduction in duplicate tests, cost savings to the health care system and faster access to care.
Interoperable Electronic Health Record: The interoperable electronic health record (iEHR) provides a lifetime view of all health services and encouters with an individual patient. When fully implemented, it will link clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and other point of care from across Canada with an integrated, patient-centric health record. It allows clinicians to view and update vital patient information such as demographics, diagnostic imaging, drug history, laboratory test results, infectious disease history, immunization and other relevant health information anywhere, anytime. The iEHR saves time, money and results in a more coordinated approach to patient care. By 2010, half of Canadians will have an iEHR.
Registries: A system to uniquely identify health care providers, patients and organizations providing care is critical to the success of the electronic health record solution. Registries are required to ensure such health information can be shared within a region, a province or nation-wide. Registries are important building blocks that serve as prerequisites to delivering the full electronic health record solution within and between jurisdictions.
Infostructure: Infoway's infostructure program ensures consistency with the various electronic health record solutions used across Canada. This will help ensure electronic health records from different regions or provinces are compatible with each other - a critical element to the success of the interoperable electronic health record (iEHR).
Fact Sheet
Electronic Health Records - Quick Facts
- 9 - Number of countries which have implemented (or are planning to implement) a country-wide electronic health record system
- 40 - Number of dollars (per person) invested in Canada to date for the development of electronic health records
- 50 - Percentage of Canadians who will still not have a complete electronic health record by 2010 when all of Infoway's seed funding has been invested
- 100 - Electronic health record coverage (in population percentage) necessary for provinces and territories to achieve their health care renewal objectives
- 350 - Estimated number of dollars (per person) needed over 10 years to complete the job and provide every Canadian with an electronic health record
- 37,000 - Number of jobs that electronic health record activities will have created in this country by 2010 according to a study by the Conference Board of Canada
- 6 billion - Estimated savings (in dollars) that can be realized each year once the complete electronic health record systems are in place
Autor(en)/Author(s): Dan Strasbourg
Quelle/Source: Canada NewsWire, 25.06.2007
