Experts call for health infoway “watchdog”
A recent report on ehealth from the World Health Organization (WHO) that ranks Canada 21st in information technology development, underscores the need for an independent “watchdog”, experts say.
Posts in category Digital Health
Digital Health — Reports from Canada and around the world on healthcare’s digital growing pains
Medical data debates: Big is better? Small is beautiful?
Canada Health Infoway’s plans for highly centralized electronic health records (EHR) systems within each province containing patient records that can be shared nationwide may not be feasible, a chorus of …
“Seeing is Belizing”: small country, big success with eHealth
A global “landscape analysis” of health information systems in developing countries commissioned by the Bill & Linda Gates Foundation in 2010 praised Belize’s achievement as world-leading.
National electronic health information strategy needs to be refocused, critics say
Canada’s health information strategy is overly focused on the development of a national infostructure and underserves the needs of physicians and patients, provincial administrators say following release of a major …
Canada’s e-health software “Tower of Babel”
Billions of dollars are being squandered in Canadian purchasing of health software for reasons of industrial policy, which is leading to disastrous technical problems and vast overpayments to technology companies …
Canadian Science PolicyDigital HealthDrug PoliticsHealthcare Privatization: A Global Business Campaign
Regulation of genetic tests unnecessary, government says
Industry forecasts indicate that Canadians will soon face a marketing avalanche to persuade them to purchase personal genetic test kits. But while American officials are moving to regulate do-it-yourself genetic …
United States to compel physicians to make “meaningful use” of electronic health records
The contrast is startling. The United States government recently adopted regulations that will compel — and generously pay — American physicians to make “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHRs). …
Geneticists urge use of public health data to attract genetics research
Population-level public health data in the province of Ontario should be used as a “lever” to attract international investment in genetics research, a high-powered panel of geneticists urges. But to …
Canadian hospitals make uneven strides in utilization of electronic health records
Canadian hospitals lag behind their United States counterparts in the use of electronic medical record systems, according to new data which also indicate an increasing technology gap between large and …
Albertans to gain electronic access to personal health files
Alberta, already a leader in Canada in connecting health professionals to electronic information systems, is gearing-up to bring patients into the loop. And that, says the province’s health minister, will …