With the growing strain on our health care system and the digitization of everyday life, the implementation of a pan-Canadian health data ecosystem must be a priority. This will drive improvements in health care delivery and patient outcomes by making personal health information readily accessible to patients and physicians. It will also increase the availability of aggregated health data for socially beneficial research, which will facilitate the development of the next generation of life-saving treatments. Unfortunately, Canada currently lags global peers, with much of Canadians’ health information locked across various electronic medical records systems that are not interoperable or accessible.
The Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy and Interoperability Roadmap have created the vision for a made-in-Canada solution, and progress is being made with Ottawa also asking provinces and territories to improve how health information is collected, shared, used and reported as a condition to receive federal health care funding. In June 2024, the Minister of Health then tabled the Connected Care for Canadians Act, which will prevent data blocking by ensuring the interoperability of health information technologies.
But more progress is needed, and faster. As discussed at last November’s discussion hosted by the Canadian Chamber, Accelerating Canada’s Health Data Ecosystem, there is a cost to inaction. The longer we delay the implementation of a pan-Canadian health data system, the longer we accept a less efficient health care system and worse health outcomes.
This year’s event will bring together federal and provincial government officials and industry representatives, to discuss how we can accelerate the delivery of connected care for Canadians by overcoming jurisdictional barriers and encouraging public-private partnerships.
Confirmed panelists include:
- Eliabeth Toller, Director General, Health Care Strategies, Health Canada
- Luk Arbuckle, Global AI Practice Leader and Chief Methodologist, IQVIA
- Brigitte Nolet, President and CEO, Roche Canada
- Michael Green, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway
- Dr. Anderson Chuck, President and CEO, Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
For more information, please contact Liam MacDonald, Director, Policy and Government Relations, lmacdonald@chamber.ca.
