Value of e-prescribing questioned
While several provinces have built centralized drug information systems that theoretically allow e-prescribing, there are few doctors in Canada who are electronically transmitting prescriptions to pharmacies.
Published By Canadian Medical Association Journal
Global reductions in newborn and maternal deaths remain low
While substantial progress has been made globally on aspects of child and maternal survival, including efforts to fight malnutrition and major diseases such as AIDS and malaria, the deaths of …
Cultivating tech-savvy physicians
Calling ehealth technologies “the new stethoscope,” Jennifer Zelmer, Infoway’s senior vice-president for clinical adoption and innovation, says a lack of physician training represents a substantial barrier in Canada’s efforts to …
Administrator urges penalties for doctors who don’t use electronic medical records
Physicians should be compelled by law to use electronic medical records (EMRs), one of Canada’s leading health administrators says. Moreover, doctors should face stiff consequences if they fail to do …
Ontario health records proposal would breach privacy, experts say
The province of Ontario is contemplating the creation of electronic health records that could include a patient’s psychosocial, financial and legal history, a provincial official has indicated. Privacy and legal …
Leaked internal report criticizes government oversight of antimicrobial resistance
The federal government’s oversight of antimicrobial resistance is sorely plagued by deficiencies, according to a draft report prepared by officials at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The internal …
Go local, European review of electronic health records advises
Grandiose nationwide digital health information systems aimed at aggregating patient data into general summaries may not be feasible, necessary or medically justified, according to a European Commission report. Large-scale systems …
Audit concludes Canada Health Infoway missed targets
While largely positive, the evaluation of the federal government’s $2.1-billion investment in the federal ehealth agency cautions that Infoway hasn’t yet adequately addressed the needs of patients and health care …
Nunavut government assailed over outbreak
The government of Nunavut is “covering up” information indicating that a wave of flu-like illness that is sweeping Nunavut’s communities in recent weeks is actually an epidemic of respiratory syncytial …
Infoway tacks towards “networked” patients
Canada Health Infoway has at last signalled that it may be slowly tacking towards promoting meaningful use of digital health information by patients and clinicians.