A Roadmap to Healthcare Liberation: Interoperability's Crucial Role

This piece was written in response to a previous op-ed that appeared on Canada Healthwatch on Feb 1st, 2024.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial financing framework, Working together to improve health care for Canadians, which included a commitment to modernize the healthcare system with standardized health data and digital tools, it's important to reflect on the strides taken toward revolutionizing Canada's health landscape. This framework, which acknowledges the pivotal role of Electronic Medical Records and digital health enablement, marks a significant commitment to reshaping the digital future of care delivery.

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, EMRs have emerged as invaluable tools, offering a comprehensive digital repository for patient information. These systems promise enhanced patient care, streamlined processes, and improved clinical outcomes. However, as with the digitization of most systems, the Canadian healthcare system faces a challenge that hinders not only the full potential of EMRs, but also the provision of more timely, efficient, and patient-centric care — data silos.

Since 2010, Canada Health Infoway has championed the adoption and implementation of EMRs across the country, helping improve patient access to their health records and better linking Electronic Health Record systems to improve access by care teams and their institutions. Following the FPT Framework, we presented our Shared pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap, developed and endorsed by provincial and territorial leaders and federal authorities, to amplify our collective commitment to create a sustainable system whereby all care sectors, organizations and providers are linked through health technology and standardized data.

When healthcare systems operate in isolation, whether it be within a specific facility or an entire province or territory, we not only hinder collaboration between health care providers but limit the effectiveness of interventions. This leaves patients without the comprehensive and accessible care they deserve and burdens providers with administrative tasks that could be streamlined.

While some have argued private-sector EMR stakeholders lead to data silos, I would disagree. It’s not the players in the system that are flawed; it’s the system itself. The EMR systems in place across the country have provided incredible value to the care teams and patients, and have brought our healthcare system into the next generation of care. It is the system in which these tools operate that must digitally evolve to match the level of care Canadians deserve.

Our path to liberation now, and sustained transformation into our future, rests in creating and implementing an interoperable framework. This is the catalyst needed to break down EMR data silos, but more importantly, unlock the true potential of health data digitization.

A healthcare system characterized by interoperability ensures that patient data flows seamlessly across various platforms and between providers, and further across care centers and between jurisdictions. The benefits of such a system extend far beyond improved information exchange; they touch every aspect of patient care, clinician efficiency, and jurisdictional collaboration.

Importantly, it will be the collaboration between private and public sectors that advances Canada’s interoperability framework. Through partnership, national standards can be tailored to empower local innovation and digitization while democratizing patient data and improving care outcomes. The private sector, with its technological expertise and innovation, can contribute solutions and systems that facilitate seamless data exchange among diverse health care entities. Simultaneously, the public sector's regulatory frameworks and commitment to universal healthcare ensure that interoperability efforts align with national priorities and patient-centric values.

An example of this collaboration comes from Infoway’s demonstration, showcasing the use of artificial intelligence as a tool to improve the healthcare experience. In this demo, AI not only serves the clinician in populating and categorizing a patient summary into standardized and shareable data between providers and jurisdictions, but this information also becomes immediately available to the patient.

As we stand at the intersection of past achievements and future possibilities, private and public sector partnership will create a sustainable foundation for connected care that is built to empower patients through better access, lower cost, and better care.

I agree in that we must act now before it is too late, but we must address the root problem to see sustainable change and healthier Canadians.

Michael Green is President CEO of Canada Health Infoway, a leader in interoperable solutions to transform Canada’s health system.