Continuing on that front, the Ontario government has announced their intention to develop a centralized electronic medical record. This initiative seeks to improve the flow of patient information between family physicians. This plan represents a huge turn from past high-profile but deeply troubled projects, most infamously the eHealth debacle of 2009. The new system seeks to resolve ongoing issues related to fragmented digital health record-keeping that have long plagued Canadian healthcare.
In 2008, Ontario set out to wire the province with an ambitious plan of its own—an integrated electronic medical record for every Ontarian. The initiative suffered a crippling blow in 2009 when the eHealth scandal broke. This controversy would force the resignation of the Liberal health minister. An Auditor-General’s report soon followed, showing more than $1 billion had been squandered on the white elephant project, resulting in little to nothing. This history has loomed large over later attempts to modernize healthcare information systems in the province.
The structure, as newly proposed, aims to replace the need for piecemeal, workaround software that docs are frequently using. This software often ineffectively interoperates with other components of the healthcare system. Many family physicians currently find themselves managing patient histories, lab results, and hospital care records held in isolated electronic silos. These silos either keep physicians in the dark or force them to waste hours populating information manually in electronic medical records.
To combat these inefficiencies, the Ontario government is prioritizing interoperability, making it easy for different health systems to communicate with one another. Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Minister of Health, underscored the significance of this specific criterion in the vendor selection … policy & public impact
“If they are not interested in ensuring their interoperable piece is there, then they are not going to be part of the final opportunity to bid,” – Sylvia Jones
The government is involving the integrity and privacy commissioners in the process of finding a vendor of record. This is a promising step towards truly protecting sensitive patient information while building a more efficient healthcare system. Whether to appoint a single vendor or multiple vendors has been left an open decision.
Currently, three companies dominate the electronic health records market for doctors in Canada: Telus Health, QHR Technologies, and Well Health Technologies Corp. Just what they’re able to do will be tested in this new pilot program.
Jill Yetman of Telus Health could not hide her excitement for the project and its future, saying,
“Telus Health has deep experience supporting primary care practitioners and health system partners across Canada, including large-scale digital health and interoperability initiatives, and we look forward to learning more as the process unfolds.” – Jill Yetman
The importance of having a great electronic medical records system in place has never been clearer. In fact, fewer than 5 percent of all prescriptions were transmitted through PrescribeIT, the national prescription-sharing service. Just recently, this service was announced for shutdown after more than $250 million was invested since 2017. Yet the relatively low uptake exposed significant gaps in the existing systems. This is a much-needed stopgap solution.
Their new electronic medical record system goes live within the month. With the patient’s consent, it will improve coordination across the healthcare system by providing clinicians a more complete and up-to-date picture of their patient’s health history. This change is meant to make delivering higher quality, more comprehensive care easier, while creating greater operational efficiencies across Ontario’s healthcare system.
While the government makes decisions on the next steps for this initiative, stakeholders should be on the lookout for more positive news. We’re dedicated to making up for past missteps. This commitment provides an important foundation for what has the potential to be a remarkable and transformative initiative to modernize electronic health records across Ontario.
