Federal bill wants to make it easier to share Canadians’ electronic medical records
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The federal government is reviving proposed legislation that would allow digital health information to be shared securely across electronic systems, giving both patients and providers access to more comprehensive medical records.
Connected Care for Canadians Act introduced in June 2024 passed first readingBut later when the Parliament was in session, the bill lapsed.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon and will have to go through the parliamentary process to become law.
Health Canada says the country’s health data system is “fragmented and siloed” and incomplete health records can compromise patient care and safety.
The department says health data is locked in different systems at hospitals and doctors’ offices that are often incompatible with each other.
If passed, the legislation would establish standards that companies developing electronic medical records must follow, allowing data to be shared between health-care providers and provinces and territories.
“We need to break down those silos,” Health Minister Marjorie Mitchell said at a news conference in Ottawa announcing the bill.
The legislation would also prevent health information companies from placing unnecessary restrictions on access or sharing of information, while ensuring compliance with patient privacy rules.
“Better connected care will contribute to safer, more integrated and higher-quality care, less burden and burnout for providers and patient empowerment in managing their own health,” a Health Canada official said in a background briefing Wednesday morning.
The One Person One Record program aims to replace paper medical records with an electronic system and establish better coordination. But as CBC’s Michael Gorman reports, some health-care workers say the program is cumbersome and is causing delays.
The department said 95 percent of physicians use electronic systems, but still commonly use fax and paper referrals because digital systems do not connect between providers.
It says some provinces and territories are already working on voluntary action plans to develop systems that are compatible with each other and that enable patients to access their own records.
Comprehensive digital health information “will improve equitable access to coordinated care, particularly in rural/remote areas and Indigenous and underserved communities who rely on virtual care and medical visits,” Health Canada said in the briefing.
In addition to providing better care and health information access for patients, Health Canada said the harmonized system will allow de-identified data to be used for research, improving the health care system, informing public health responses and empowering AI advances.
The Canadian Press health coverage is supported through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association.
