Canada Health Infoway

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Introduction

See also Electronic health records (EHRs) and Health Informatics

The Canada Health Infoway - http://www.infoway-inforoute.ca/ is a federally-funded not-for-profit initiative that includes Canada's fourteen federal, provincial and territorial ministers of health. Infoway is responsible for promoting electronic health information and developing electronic patient record systems. Infoway invests in a pan-Canadian framework of electronic patient record systems where best practices can be shared. Infoway collaborates with health ministries, regional authorities, health organizations and vendors to implement provincial electronic patient record solutions. EPR systems are important in health care and conveying patient information, and enable better decision-making in patient treatment. The result is the creation of a modern, sustainable health system with improved accessibility, quality and productivity. The public sector leads in the use of EPR solutions but Infoway provides leadership and strategic direction in collaboration with the provinces and territories. Infoway has approved more than 250 projects since its inception: Diagnostic Imaging Systems, Drug Information Systems, Infostructure, Innovation and Adoption, Interoperable electronic patient record systems, Laboratory Information Systems, Public Health Surveillance, Registries and Telehealth. In 2007, Infoway's Board approved an investment strategy for a tenth program called Patient Access to Quality Care.

• Canada Health Infoway. Knowing the progress - http://www.knowingisbetter.ca

Infoway's five strategic pillars

Infoway's business model is built on five complementary strategies which will assist provinces and territories to accelerate reform to:

• participate in health care renewal — support national, jurisdiction and local initiatives to strengthen health care
• collaborate with partners — work together with our public and private sector partners to ensure progress and alignment
• target investments — accelerate investment in and replication of solutions that support health system transformation and innovation
• support solution deployment — provide expertise to partners to implement electronic health information solutions and to monitor projects
• promote solution adoption and benefits realization — facilitate clinical leadership, advance best practices in the clinician adoption of solutions, as well as support the measurement and realization of benefits.

Goals

• Every province and territory benefits from new health information systems to modernize the Canadian health system. Further, 50 per cent of Canadians will have their own electronic health record so authorized professionals can provide them with health services.
• To foster development and adoption of electronic health information systems with compatible standards and communications technologies on a pan-Canadian basis, with tangible benefits to Canadians.
• To build on existing initiatives and pursue collaborative relationships in pursuit of our mission.

Vision

• A high-quality, sustainable and effective Canadian health care system supported by an infostructure that provides residents of Canada and their health care providers with timely, appropriate and secure access to the right information when and where they enter into the health care system. Respect for privacy is fundamental to this vision.

• As part of a consultative process with leaders in the Canadian health sectors, Infoway has developed 2015: Advancing Canada's Next Generation of Health Care — a comprehensive strategy for the next 10 years of investment in health care information systems.

• Infoway's funding agreement requires it to: "incorporate the protection of personal health information in its activities in accordance with applicable laws and privacy principles." These laws refer to the provincial and territorial laws and policies that dictate how personal health information is handled.

To read about Infoway's commitment to privacy, see the White Paper on Information Governance of the Interoperable Electronic Health Record (EHR).

ImagineNation Challenges

Canada Health Infoway recently launched its ImagineNation Ideas Challenge, asking Canadians how they would improve health care through innovation in information and communications technologies (ICT). Infoway is looking for bold, new ideas - or creative combinations of existing ideas - and will award more than $35,000 to recognize the leading ideas. All Canadians - whether they work in the health system, receive health services, or care about the future of health care in Canada - are invited to participate.