But given the allegations of criminal misconduct tied directly to the letting of contracts for the "E health" initiative, one has to wonder if there are enough safeguards in place to ensure that millions of dollars aren't wasted.
The E health initiative was in both 2007 and 2008 throne speeches of the B.C. Liberal government and the B.C. Medical Association has signed on as a partner of sorts.
More than $100 million is put aside as incentive for doctors to use electronic medical records in their practices. There is a $148 million contract with Sun Microsystems to build infrastructure required for the shift from paper to electronic health records. In short, there is a heck of a lot of tax money flying around a relatively new and complex health initiative. One has to wonder if the technology has the potential of intimidating government officials when it comes to making sound business decisions associated with it.
The scandal in the news involves a relatively few people and only allegations - not evidence - are involved. But the tawdry tale involving alleged kickbacks and crazy bill practices doesn't instill confidence in E health initiative. After all, one has to only look out to Ontario to see similar financial problems with electronic health records. There a scandal involving more than $1 billion in contracts resulted in a scathing report from the province's auditor-general and cost the provincial health minister his cabinet post.
B.C. auditor-general John Doyle is reviewing the E health file, which should provide some relief. But I detect nervousness in some quarters of government as officials are no doubt worried that given the amount of money involved and the apparent loose way of handling contracts in such an unfamiliar initiative that Doyle (or the province's comptroller-general, who is also reviewing this file) may find some other embarrassments.
There will undoubtedly be recommendations on tightening contract procedures but if the rules aren't rigorously enforced with very clear oversight, there will remain the risk of millions of dollars being misspent.
If more questionable spending schemes are uncovered, I don't expect any cabinet resignations.
But more importantly, if there are other examples, hopefully they won't derail the E health initiative. Such an occurrence would be the real loss here.
The medical community has been dragged almost against its will to the electronics health record idea. Older doctors have spent their careers filling out forms and charts. They view a wholesale move to computers with suspicion and skepticism.
The public also has to overcome a tendency to equate electronic health records with a potential for an invasion of privacy. One hears of computer hackers all the time, and not much about paper records going missing.
But health experts say the move is vitally important. The shift to E health improves co-ordination, cost savings and better patient access.
"Electronic health records are one of the keys to modernizing Canada's health system and improving access and outcomes for Canadians," was a finding of the Roy Romanow Royal Commission on Health Care.
It would be a shame if sloppy, wasteful and even potentially criminal activity were to derail something that appears to be so important to ensuring our public health care system not only continues to provide great care, but even survives in the long run.
This scandal will run its course eventually. Criminal charges may, or may not, be laid against some people. Let's hope scandal is an isolated example, and not simply the first look at a much bigger problem.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Keith Baldrey
Quelle/Source: Abbotsford/Mission Time, 13.10.2009
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