Canada Health Infoway is investing $380 to fund electronic medical record systems in community-based practices and outpatient settings throughout Canada, Infoway President and CEO Richard Alvarez announced.
"Connecting health providers to the health information systems being developed across the country is fundamental to Infoway's mandate," says Alvarez. "This new wave of investment, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, will help us reach our target to enroll an additional 8,000 to 9,000 physicians and nurse practitioners in EMR programs by March 2012."
Canada Health Infoway is a nonprofit corporation funded by the government. It was created in 2001 to spur the adoption of electronic medical record systems and communications technologies.
Infoway's investment in electronic medical records is part of the $500 million in new funding provided by the government of Canada in its 2010 Budget. Through this program, Infoway will co-fund EMR systems for physicians and nurse practitioners throughout Canada. Infoway support will make it possible for provinces and territories that have programs in place to expand their current programs. In jurisdictions planning to introduce a formal EMR program in the near future, Infoway will assist with startup costs.
"Infoway's initiative shows real commitment to put EMR support where it is needed most – at the front lines of care," said Jeff Turnbull, MD, president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). "Increasing the use of EMR systems is a critical component of the CMA's vision to transform Canada's healthcare system so that it puts patients first."
Infoway will also invest in clinical peer support networks so that health professionals using EMR systems can learn from others' experience and share best practices, innovation projects, and other efforts to accelerate clinical value from the use of information and communications technologies. Infoway also provide support to qualifying information technology vendors needing to upgrade their current product lines to meet Infoway privacy, security and interoperability standards.
As in the United States, where meaningful use of EMRs is critical to benefitting for government programs, Infoway's investments in EMR systems will be tied to the extent to which health professionals derive clinical value from their systems, including using an EMR for functions such as entering patient information including notes, allergies, immunizations and prescribed medications or viewing lab tests. Additional clinical value will be derived from using the more advanced functionality of the EMR and supporting greater interoperability of the EMR with external systems.
[Related story: U.S. ranks last among seven countries on healthcare performance.]
"It is now time to ensure front-line clinicians have the ability to interact with these core systems and can use them to better manage patient care, added Alvarez. "Integrating point-of-service technologies such as EMR systems in community-based physician offices and ambulatory care settings allows us to leverage our investments to date in core provincial and territorial electronic health record systems."
Canada is one of the most connected nations in the world and Canadian patients want more interactivity and interoperability from their health care system, according to the Canadian Medical Association.
[John Halamka on international EHR adoption: International EHR Adoption.]
"In the national dialogue the CMA has started with Canadians, improving and better integrating the use of EMRs and electronic linkages between providers and patients is a major recurring theme," said Turnbull. "This is not a brave new world for patients. They are plugged in and they want better IT and communication tools in their healthcare."
