The Ontario government has announced plans to create a centralized electronic medical record (EMR) system aimed at enhancing patient data sharing among family doctors. This new initiative is a significant departure from previous initiatives. It arrives particularly in response to the 2008 eHealth scandal that sank the province’s effort to develop an electronic, province-wide record system. The government aims to ensure that physicians utilize software that connects seamlessly with the wider health system while remaining accessible to patients.
Both the Canadian federal and Ontario provincial governments are adopting a quiet but focused tone. This decision follows the collapse of previous projects, forcing the resignation of a provincial liberal health minister in 2009. This is despite an Auditor-General’s scathing report, showing that more than $1 billion was spent on the original project, for almost no results. The new initiative is designed to address those past wounds. It makes interoperability the highest criterion in the procurement process for the EMR system.
“Interoperability is key,” said Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Minister of Health. If they are not motivated to make sure their interoperable piece is included, then they are not going to be included in that final chance to bid.
This year, the Ontario government promises to incorporate integrity and privacy commissioners into the selection process. Their goal is to select the vendor with the best-fit EMR system. There are currently three major players in the electronic health records market: Telus Health, QHR Technologies, and Well Health Technologies Corp. We’ve asked every one of them to enter the competitive bidding process. Our primary interest is in their capacity to facilitate interoperability.
“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,” said Jill Yetman, a representative from the company.
The Ontario government’s push for an electronic medical record system aligns with its broader strategy to improve healthcare coordination across the province. The envisioned system would allow clinicians to access a holistic picture of a patient’s health history. Concurrently, it makes sure that patients are the ones giving active consent to have their data shared.
Minister of Health Sylvia Jones’ proposed primary care medical record system will allow health records to be interoperable and secure. Clinicians across Ontario will have access to a more complete view of patients’ health histories, which will improve coordination throughout the healthcare system with patient consent.
Amid these developments, Canada Health Infoway announced it would discontinue PrescribeIT, a national prescription-sharing service that has faced scrutiny for its underperformance. Since launching in 2017, this platform transmitted less than 5 percent of all prescriptions. In the end, it folded after wasting more than $250 million.
The Ontario government plans to evaluate whether it will engage a single vendor of record for the EMR system or multiple vendors, ensuring flexibility and efficiency in meeting healthcare needs. We’re therefore pleased that the government has launched an EMR initiative. They promise to grow or create 124 new primary care health teams throughout the province in the next fiscal year alone.
This all-encompassing strategy draws on Ontario’s aim to continue strengthening the delivery of healthcare through technology while avoiding previous mistakes. The federal government puts interoperability first and engages all relevant stakeholders from the outset. Their vision is to develop an engaging electronic medical record system that brings value to both providers and patients alike.
