The paper outlines what sufficient funding and government co-operation could accomplish by 2015 by employing information technology to enable more effective use of health care facilities, especially during a time when an aging population is bound to stress the system's capacity.
If the Ontario government wants to get the biggest bang for its medical buck, it should invest in e-Health, says the head of the association representing Ontario's 156 public hospitals. Funding electronic medical health records is an investment that would bring the best yield over time, said Hilary Short.
Read more: Canada: Ontario: Hospital leader promotes e-Health
Establishing electronic medical records (EMR) in doctors’ offices will be high priority for the Canada Health Infoway over the next decade, superceded only by the goal of establishing an electronic health record for all Canadians and launching a public health surveillance system.
Read more: Canada: More automation for doctors' office a must
Instead of an electronic system, we keep putting pen to paper and putting patients' lives at risk.
Competent and well-trained health-care workers are essential, but so is complete, timely information. Something we don't have.
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."
Read more: Canadian Implementation of e-Health projects increases by 39 per cent