opinion
November 14, 2023 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada
Digital technologies are more important than ever to the health and well-being of the Canadian population. In this Digital Health WeekWe recognize how digital health is transforming health care across Canada and improving health outcomes.
Canadians should be able to securely access their health information electronically, but currently only about a third of Canadians have access to some of their health information online.
Doctors also cannot easily access or transmit patients’ medical information because electronic health systems are not always connected. This can compromise patient safety, lead to unnecessary or duplicate tests, and increase wait times and hospital stays. We all deserve a health system that allows medical information to be shared between health professionals so they can provide better care while maintaining privacy.
The opportunities presented by a connected digital health system are of great importance to Canadians. Whether you want to get a prescription without physical documents or see your doctor from the comfort of your own home, digital health systems and services should be easily accessible wherever and whenever you need them.
Earlier this year, our government unveiled its Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians plan, which proposes investing nearly $200 billion over 10 years to improve health care for Canadians. As part of this funding, $25 billion will be provided through tailored bilateral agreements to meet the unique needs of each province and territory and advance shared health priorities. These bilateral agreements include commitments from all levels of government to improve the way health information is collected, shared, used and reported to Canadians, to ensure greater transparency of results and to better manage health information.
In Canada, work is already underway to improve digital health through a Joint Action Plan on Health Data and Digital Health and the Pan-Canadian Charter for Health Data, developed jointly with our provincial and territorial colleagues and adopted last month. These documents set the path for collaboration in the coming years to implement consistent approaches and policies so that people living in Canada can more easily access this information and benefit from sharing their health information across all care settings. This way, individuals and populations are at the centre of all decisions about access, disclosure and use of their health information. As the concerted effort moves forward, Canadians can be assured that the collection and sharing of anonymised information is done in a way that respects their privacy.
These efforts will be guided by the implementation of the Common Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap, led by Canada Health Infoway in collaboration with key partners, provinces and territories. The roadmap will support the development and adoption of common standards to better connect health systems and enable Canadians and their health care providers to securely access electronic health information on a provincial and territorial scale.
Digital health also plays an important role in supporting mental health. During the pandemic, our government started Wellness Space Canadaan online portal that provides Canadians with free virtual resources and support for mental health and substance use. To better support mental well-being and prevent bullying and cyberbullying in a virtual environment, we provided funding to Kids Help Phone to support the mental well-being of Indigenous youth, Black youth, newcomers, and young people from rural, remote communities and those with limited access to services across Canada.
Advancing digital health is critical to enable Canadians to access their own health information, easily navigate the health system, and obtain data on health system performance. This Digital Health Week, our government reaffirms its commitment to ensuring Canadians can count on a digital health network built on transparency and privacy protections.
The Honourable Mark Holland, PC, MP
The Honorable Ya’ara Saks, PC, MP
contacts
Christopher Aoun
Press Officer
Office of the Honorable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
613-291-4176
Alex Fernandes
Press Officer and Senior Communications Consultant
Office of the Honorable Ya’ara Saks
Minister for Mental Health and Addiction
and Deputy Minister of Health
613-290-0318
Media relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca
Award-winning entrepreneur. Baconaholic. Food advocate. Wannabe beer maven. Twitter ninja.
