Ottawa, Canada, Aug. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ottawa, ON (August 25, 2022) – Public Policy Forum, in partnership with Queen’s University and Johnson & Johnson, today released a report titled Canadian Health Care’s Digital Future: Voices of Key Leaders. Stemming from two roundtables of experts and stakeholders representing academia, healthcare, technology, government and business, the latest report highlights key discussions and recommendations for transitioning to an equitable, efficient and innovative digital healthcare model in Canada.
The report shares thoughtful insights and solutions for how best to implement digital health data and digital health technology systems to restructure and improve Canada’s currently fragmented healthcare system in order to achieve better health outcomes for citizens across the country.
“COVID-19 provided an accelerant to the digital transformation already underway in the Canadian health-care system, but there are essential policies, frameworks, incentives and governance to put in place to ensure it is effective and equitable,” said Usman Mohammad, Policy Lead, Public Policy Forum. “Canada has a window of opportunity right now to transform the way its health-care system operates, focusing on digitalization, to better meet the needs of patients.”
From sharing digital health data that would foster better care, to citizens owning all their personal health data on a digital platform, to implementing a digital prescription system, the report shares how digital technologies offer solutions to the challenges facing Canada’s current health care system.
“The goal of our report is to share what’s possible if Canada’s public and private sectors collaborate to build a cohesive digital health system. By setting up guidelines and standards, digital technologies would dramatically improve outcomes for patients across the country,” said Mohammad. “We also need to support citizens having ownership of and the ability to share their personal health data through a user-friendly digital platform. Being able to easily share one’s overall health data digitally with their doctors, pharmaceutics and specialists is a critical step towards improving the health care system in Canada, now and for our future generations.”
"As Canada advances its course in the digital health space, taking a thoughtful approach to systems, processes and standards is critical. Amid this progress, we must also consider structurally marginalized populations. While these populations face challenges, they also bring enormous strength and are poised to make key contributions. Indigenous leaders, for example, have been front-runners in understanding best practices in health data for a long time, and there is a lot we can learn” said Dr. Jane Philpott, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University, an advisor to this project.
The report provides key priorities for a successful digital health transformation, including:
- A digital experience for care seekers starting from diagnostic test results, prescriptions, consults and referrals
- Patient ownership and access to protected health information data that is transparent and which features built in provisions for consent on data sharing
- The need to address the significant gaps in coverage and disparities in who has access to good care, related to factors including geography, socio-economic status as well as visible minorities and Indigenous communities
- Improved governance and coordination mechanisms through a new framework between federal/provincial/territorial governments that ensures innovation and new approaches are fostered
- Carving out roles for clinicians, patients, researchers and innovators in an expanding the health-care value chain.
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