How Canada’s health care system can improve data and information sharing: New report

Digital health tools have the power to transform health care — helping providers streamline charting and coordinate with other health teams, and allowing patients better access to their health information.

But a new report shows that many of these tools are more hindrance than help. Most doctors navigate clunky, outdated systems holding critical health information that is not accessible by the health care team or the patient. A recent survey found only 29% of physicians share patient information outside their practice. The same poll showed that fewer than 40% of Canadians say they can see their own health records electronically.

Read the report

One repercussion is that clinicians face an overload of often duplicative administrative tasks, including finding, sharing and collecting health data, which contributes to burnout and reduces time for patient care. Over a third (35%) of physicians who use an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) say they spend two hours or more beyond what they should reasonably spend each workday looking for patient information needed to provide care.

Patients want their health information to be accessible electronically, to themselves and their health care team, but too often they are still responsible for collecting and maintaining it on their own. The result is having to repeatedly share their stories and health care journeys with different providers while seeking care.

To better understand the barriers in play, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Canada Health Infoway, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) established a digital health interoperability task force in March 2024. The team’s report — produced with input from physician health system leaders, representatives from nursing, medical learners and patients — delves into current challenges and provides recommendations to improve interoperability and modernize the Canadian health care system.

The report points to a number of limitations on the optimal use of digital health tools. These include a lack of integration between different record-keeping systems, inconsistency in how health information is exchanged between providers, inadequate clinician training and even inadequate internet connectivity in rural areas.

The task force also notes that many patients have limited digital health literacy, reducing their ability to engage effectively with these technologies.

There are cultural and systemic barriers, too, including the need to support Indigenous data sovereignty to ensure that First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples have control over what information is collected and how.

There has been some progress in addressing these challenges.

Earlier this year, the federal government announced Bill C-72, legislation requiring companies providing digital health services in Canada to adopt common standards and allow for secure information sharing. Modernizing the health care system is one of four shared priorities set out by provincial and territorial governments in the recent bilateral funding agreements with Ottawa.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to improve clinical care and administrative efficiency. Already, AI scribe tools have become practical, and their use is spreading quickly among clinicians.

Key recommendations

To accelerate health data interoperability further, the task force identifies five strategies:

• Providing guidance: Federal, provincial, and territorial governments should commit to developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to improve interoperability within five years. This plan should be overseen by a National Health Data Governance Council to ensure collaboration across jurisdictions.
• Securing commitment: Effectively accelerate federal policy and legislative efforts, with strong support from provincial and territorial governments, to drive comprehensive health data interoperability across Canada. This includes mandating data and technology standards for clinical data exchange, and creating a national framework for modern health data stewardship policies that respect Indigenous data sovereignty and ensure public engagement.
• Erasing barriers: Provinces and territories should work to address key barriers preventing health care professionals from participating in health data interoperability initiatives, and ensure that health data solutions are co-designed with practising clinicians.
• Supporting clinicians: National and provincial/territorial medical associations, along with other clinical societies, should provide guidance and support to clinicians by developing best practice guidelines and advocating for strategies to address identified barriers to interoperability.
• Stimulating innovation: Canada’s research and development funding organizations should invest in continuous innovation in digital health, focusing on strategies that reduce clinician workloads, such as AI, and enhance the capabilities of existing digital health tools and systems.

Improving digital health tools and the interoperability of health data are essential strategies to tackle admin burden and modernize Canada’s health system. With coordination and collaboration, these solutions can alleviate rather than add stress, and provide new understanding for patients.

NT5